Few people can afford it. I certainly couldn't when I did my PPL in 1978. But it's the best money I ever spent. It's given me decades of flying fun, doing and seeing things very few others get to do and see.
And post PPL get into a group. I was lucky in that my interest isn't touring but visiting farm strips and aerobatting, so a share in a lovely Chipmunk served well. If that hadn't been available, I'd have gone for an LAA aerobatic type - even cheaper than the Chippy!