Definitely get your CFI and more importantly your CFII. I too looked at getting my own plane, our family finances took a hit, so that was no longer possible. I’m glad I had to instruct though. Really helped with my airline interview. After about 500 hours of instructing, it’s pretty much a grind. So I would recommend instructing during the day, and in the evening, flying a few hours in your own plane. This would get you to the airlines faster, with a good base knowledge. You can always sell the plane when you’re done for pretty much what you paid for it.