Those pay to fly places make me sick. They are one of the reasons pay is so crappy right now. Why pay us more when kids are willing to pay for this job...a joke and discrace.
Put your time in as a CFI like all of us did. Does not matter if it takes longer, it is called paying your dues.
And if you decide to "pay to play," keep it a secret because you will not be respected at all in the industry.