There is good advice from others in this thread, similar to what I would have offered. So I won't repeat it.

I will, however, offer something that hasn't been said, and that is regarding the mindset that makes for a successful RC hobbyist. There are two things that everyone who has a long run in this hobby has. The first is a positive attitude that chooses to prepare for success and make the right investments of time and money to ensure it. That often mean waiting a while to get started or to take the next step, but it also means not wasting your investment when you do get out to the flying field. The absolute cheapest way to do this hobby is to buy quality equipment, take good care of it, and practice your skills systematically so that you can improve without taking silly risks. The second part of the mindset that I see in myself and many other long time RC pilots is to think of the hobby as an ongoing part of your budget, not a one time or sporadic expense. My wife and I worked out a "fun money" budget several years ago. She buys outfits and gets her nails done and has dinner out with friends on hers, and I buy RC stuff with mine. If we get in a tight spot, we don't get our fun money for a while. The value of that mindset is that you can work out your budget and only spend what's comfortable for you, spacing out your purchases however you need to. So if you can afford $50 a month, you can have a good radio in about 4 months, a new trainer plane and batteries in 3 more, and a good charger and some spare batteries about 2 months after that. Then you add to your collection based on your budget. If the plane you really want is $500, it'll take about 10 months to get there. There's nothing you can't afford if you think of the expense as a monthly investment instead of a one time splurge.