The $150/hr is the bigger cost. I got my PPL a few years ago but haven't flown once since then. If you're going to fly, you need to do it regularly to maintain proficiency - you can't just take out the plane after 4 months of not flying.

So a PPL is useless unless you're willing to spend $2k+ per year to maintain it. Do you need to go somewhere far away, often enough for that to be worth it?