I was self taught from the beginning; I had no certifications starting at Staples EasyTech for 2-3 years in high school, went on to GeekSquad for another 3 years in college, and ended up working for a private DoD Contractor for another 2 years while I finished college. Right out of school I was a system administrator with no certifications but I had cumulative tier 1 to 3 experience of 8 years and a 4 year degree. Problem is that it's tough to find jobs but if you really enjoy technology you can do a lot with 0 dollars spent if you can show proficiency in an interview.

My addiction to PC gaming is to thank for most of my experience along with my Father's cheapness of buying emachine computers or worse a computer from a grocery store that I had to fix repeatedly. Don't be afraid to tinker, build, break, rebuild, and learn. Virtualization is the future, learn to love VMware. Don't stop reading and learning.

I now am finally attempting certifications because my work pays for them.

I don't know where I'm going with this but don't forget to network in every position, it may pay off later in your career.