Ragingbeaver

You should heed the advice given to you about purchasing an aileron equipped trainer first.

Do NOT buy something from ValueHobby, Nitroplanes, etc. to start out with. The problem with those is that they are geared for people who have some prior experience putting planes like that together. It sounds like you have none.

Try something from Tower or Horizon instead. Planes from either of those two companies come with a comprehensive manual that goes into many tips and techniques you should acquire.
Don't worry about putting together something yourself... the manuals are quite good and walk you through everything... the added bonus is that they also stock replacement parts too, something you will not get from import vendors.

Try to get a larger plane ( larger = easier ). Consider a glow or gas powered trainer, as you can typically get far more flights on these planes per day, and they do better in light wind conditions that ground many electric planes, particularly the electric foam trainers.

The balsa & wood planes are EASY to fix too. You'll learn good woodworking skills as you progress, eventually you'll get to the point that you can repair almost any damage with nothing more than store bought balsa, glue & covering.... and your repairs will look as good as new, something that does not happen with foam planes.

But above all, find a club, go to their meetings and training sessions. You'll learn a lot and you may even pick up a complete trainer system for a song from a member who is moving up.