Maybe that's fine if the point is just to go up on a Saturday for fun and land at the same field you took off from.

I'd literally fly a bicycle with wings for fifteen minutes at a time if that made [fixed-wing] aviation more affordable. I live in one of the better-off eastern-bloc countries and I make significantly more than most people I know, but getting a PPL would almost certainly ruin me financially at this moment.

I know that paragliding and hang gliding exist, but those are a bit out of my comfort (and safety) zone.

There are clubs that own small aircraft that you can fly, I've done some time in these:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikarus_C42

Technically it is a microlight but top speed and handling are much closer to a regular GA craft. I absolutely loved it and if my eyesight was better I'd definitely go for a license.

There are also actual gliders (aka soaring). These are planes in all but the engine, and are pretty safe.

Buy a Cessna 150 or 152. About the same as your bicycle and about as affordable.

Yes, of course. But the range (1-2h) might be just enough for a lot of szenarios.