Believe me after you have finished it all, GA flying becomes a hassle, because you not sure where you will need money next!
That is the sad thing after doing all the training, which is fun, do you spend money on sim training? do you save for TR? Do you do FIC? So many questions after, than you get the renewals, number one is fine, but as time goes, you need to think every step what is good to spend money on!
I am 42 myself, and finished 12 months ago, not a sniff at a job!
Doing ATPL theory, requires a lot of work, I did full time, 6 hours at school + 4 - 5 hours at home, 5 to 6 days a week for 6 months, distance learning will take more time, which you don't have.
Doing modular, which is the only economical way, will take you around 18 to 24 months, if you manage to be really hard working.
So it is not just about the money, do you have the time to spare? Do you have 8 to 10 hours of your day, that you can spend on studying for 6 months?