I know the feeling. I failed my college exam the first time, spent one year at home, finally got admitted the next year, (in Foreign Languages). Looking back, it was not worth it - my kids speak English better than me, while my eldest has read far more than I ever did in college...and she is unschooled! But, just as you say, at that time having a degree was important.
I'm sure your time will come, you're already doing very good here, maybe it won't have anything to do with Economics, even, but, for some reason, having a degree in something might help. People don't yet understand you can learn much more outside formal education and place a great deal of value on a piece of paper!