I paid for all my stuff out of pocket... took a little longer than someone with a loan, but in the end I make more per month. It's not impossible just takes a little creativity... I worked a lot to pay for it don't get me wrong, however most people especially during the rj hiring boom just got plain ripped off. You just need to beware rip-offs. There is a flight school near us that has a 172sp g1000 for $147/hr plus $51 instructor (!). The flight school I flew at currently rents a 172sp (conventional gauge/gps) for $65/hr dry plus $30/hr instructor ( also an ATP) so it comes out to be about $130/hr dual.
You don't need a loan, you can be smart and shop around, share time with others.... part 61 .... I spend about $14k total for pvt-multi comm