Lytebyte,
Your situation is pretty much where I found myself 22 years ago. At 17, my left eye was borderline short-sighted, and I was rejected for military aircrew. Having wanted to do nothing else but the RAF since I was 12, it was pretty shattering. Like you I thought about becoming a technician for the same reasons; I joined as an airframe mechanic, and have spent the last 20 years doing what I think is the second best job in aviation, and in all honesty have loved it most of the time. It's not flying, but it's the next best thing.
On the point you made about civvy flying, a friend of mine also wanted to fly from an early age. Eyesight also ruled out the RAF and he couldn't afford to pay for a CPL/ATPL either. He became a fireman, worked for his PPL, and from there built his hours up in any way possible, scrimping and saving, until he achieved his CPL. He's now an A320 captain for a leading UK airline. He put the work in, made sacrifices, didn't have vast finances, and it took a while, but he certainly got there in the end.
I guess the point is, rejection for RAF aircrew is not the end of the world, and neither is shortage of finances, there is always a way. Good luck in your endeavours.
JG