I also agree that a degree isn't necessary to be successful in life.
I had my son when I was 17, and was met with a lot of "oh you'll never amount to anything, you've ruined your life". So I thought "well I'll show them". I'm stubborn like that.
Having said that, having a degree has helped me gain some of the jobs that I've had in the past, not that I've used my actual knowledge for that position. I think some employers think it makes their business/organisation seem more credible if they have tertiary educated employees.
When I worked in (un)employment services I was amazed by the amount of "eternal students", mostly men, but some women too, who just study one degree after another with no intention of ever going out into the work force to use any of the qualifications that they have gained. I had one client who was in his 50's, who had been studying at uni since he left school and he had 7 or 8 degrees and was studying for his PhD in political science or something but he had never worked a day in his life. Not one.