Thank you for sharing! My family are in a similar position. I was the youngest of 4; and although knowing from a very young age what I wanted to do, my parents still weren't in any sort of position to help me much. From the age of 16 i paid for my own food + school uniform etc form part-time work. Loans for us were also out of the question, parents got a mortgage late and they did so through co-ownership. Even though at the age of 16/17 it had never crossed my mind that they could help financially, as I suppose I always knew they couldn't! Now my parents are in their mid-60's and my mums still putting in the hours at Tesco because she has no other choice. She always maintains that if she ever came into money that my flying would be the first thing on her list, so they'd help out if they could.
Knowing i've always wanted to fly though, and always knowing I couldn't access the funds has actually worked out well in a roundabout sort of way. Forced me to work harder and i've ended up with a BEng degree, MSc Degree from one of the best UK universities for Engineering. I've worked in some cool places, seen some amazing things, travelled the world, made some great friends and lived all over the UK. I earn good money, I've a good career, I'm able to save... and i'm able to help my parents out. Its actually worked out a-okay and i'm still working towards my flying - although i'll probably be in my 30s as opposed to my 20s when it happens!