You need to make sure you enjoy flying before you invest the time and money. My recomendation would be to get your private before you make any huge financial commitments. Not sure what school you're at, but what you really need to get into this industry are Private, Instrument, Commercial, Multi, CFI, CFII, MEI. This should cost about $30K, give or take a little. With these ratings there are all kinds of job opportunities to build time and get into a regional airline job.

If anyone is charging you more, you need to understand WHY. You DO NOT need training in airline procedures, turbine aircraft, regional jet simulators or any other crap that is not directly related to flying light twin and single-engine aircraft. I recommend you don't spend your money on this stuff, and I really hope that you haven't taken out a huge loan...

If your school has you signed up for a huge loan package and has sold you an overpriced program with a bunch of bells and whistles, I suggest you quit immediately. Take your money and get your training at your local airport so you can live at home with your family. A small-medium sized flight school can usually provide everything you need and should have enough resources to maintain your training pace.

With that being said, you and your family are young enough if your wife can work to make ends meet for a few years, and is supportive of this. I agree with your assessment that long term this is better than truck driving. BTW, you will need a 4 year degree to get a major airline job, but not a regional job. Spending a career at a regional would probably pay a little more than trucking, with a comparable lifestyle.