Mad Bear
I can relate to your situation all too easily. I was given a flying lesson for my 40th birthday, I thought it was fantastic and started buying the Thom books with a view to going further. For all the restrictive reasons you described earlier I didn't resume my lessons until I was 52 and got my licence at 53.
I found that learning the theory and doing the exams and flying with an instructor most (but not all) weekends was a really enjoyable hobby in itself. If I had my time over again I would have done that rather younger and not worried about whether it actually led to a licence.
In fact there's little doubt that £6000 would get you a licence. That's roughly what it cost me and my spatial perception is rubbish.
I don't know where you are based but I would try to get involved with a club and more mature instructors who will be more relaxed and better equipped than the hour builders to analyse your flying and explain technique in ways you can easily understand. In a club scene you can make friends and get good right hand seat time to add to your lessons and that will help you ask good questions of your instructor as well as adding to the fun at minimal cost. (Custom says you buy the bacon sarnies and pay the landing fees
)
Just enjoy what flying you can get and relax until you get older freer and more in control of your wallet.
In my case (now 59), I have 300 hours P1 110 hours dual which got me PPL/IMC/night and complex, all of which were great fun and stand me in good stead when flying my newly acquired Archer 2
