LPN vs RN

Hi, I am just finishing remedials at college. My major is nursing, RN. However I have about a year and half to go before I start clinicals, if I can get in with waiting list etc., and then another 2 years or so after that. I am considering going to the local tech college to do an LPN course instead. My reasons are:

my wife and I (this is my wife's screen name) are in plenty of debt right now, and I am really not too fond of getting in like $12-16,000 more. I have no nursing experiance at all and I feel a lot more comfortable with the idea of working as lpn for a few years (or maybe for ever) before deciding to go for RN. I think I would prefer the role of the lpn anyway, more direct patient care. I am going to speak to the tech college tomorrow to suss it out, and if the course doesn't start 'till say sept I plan on spending the summer working as CNA 'till then, instead of racking up more debt at college doing prereqs. Also my wife and I r dying to move and this would speed up that whole proccess.

Has anyone else done anything similar to this? or does anyone think this a good idea?
Thanks for reading!