Tip 1: I know that the Turnigy and Eurgle radios have a following because they are cheap, but I'll recommend you skip them. Do some searching and you'll find enough reports about malfunctions to at least make me not want to use them. If a cheap radio causes you one total loss crash, you've lost more money than you've saved with it.

Tip 2: if you absolutely must try to do the hobby without any help, at least read the AMA safety code and abide by it. It has been developed over many decades of this hobby and is your best bet to avoid an injury to yourself or damage to others' property.

And tip 3: seriously evaluate your intended flying area. You need lots of wide open space to fly in, more than you think. If you can see trees, chances are you will hit one of them eventually. You also need flat ground to do takeoffs and landings. Even if an undeveloped piece of land looks flat, it often isn't flat enough for our little wheels to roll on. That factor alone makes a club worthwhile for many.