You dont need 25k to day trade. Just use a cash account. You can use the entire buying power daily if trading options. It resets daily.We in the same boat. I will say though, I don't recommend day trading unless you have at least 25k, that way the brokers/market can't nerf you. That's why most folk don't eat; they get manipulated into thinking that there's a different reason for why they don't succeed. The truth is the amount of capital you have to invest is the true barometer of success in the market.
I only keep 10k in my daytrading account.