No worries, as mentioned it's not the distance itself but the cost of the distance relative to other outgoings in the same month - just didn't think it would necessary to go in that much detail in a quick post!
I'm based in Cambridgeshire and am actually open to driving a reasonable amount to meet / pick up people etc before flying as I don't pay for petrol. Shame that doesn't cover avgas too though!
pboyall - once I've passed I'll definitely be looking for a share somewhere local or a cheaper route to flying. £30 an hour sounds great compared to the £134 I pay at the moment. Just need to get the PPL under my belt first.