You need to be more discriminating about how you spend your money. I rented a 152 for my private training at $48 an hour wet plus instructor $20 an hour. Gas has gone up a bit the last three years, but I can walk out and do this same thing today for $70 wet airplane, $25 instructor. I got all my flight ratings (private, instrument, commercial single & multi, high performance, complex/retract, tailwheel, multiengine) for about $25k. Look into flying clubs, smaller FBOs, and grapevine connections to save money. A new airplane is not required.