Sunfish, I sympathise your plight despite the fact I have commercial ratings.
I still treasure the days when I was a PPL for recreation and loved learning to fly out of small airfields and strips in upstate Victoria. Have you considered those instead of sausage factories at MB, PC or EN ? Country schools and clubs are often nicer and besides you save a lot more on landing fees.
I self-funded all my flight training and avoided all the sausage factories for exactly the same reasons. Mind you, I still end up with crapped out, passenger frightening, late 60s vintage aircraft !