My two cents-
learned the basic basics on a Slow Stick, this is great for perspective, at first you will have a HARD time with referencing what the plane is doing.
Got a Superstar 40. Crashed it. Got G2 sim and played with that some, continuing.. Repaired superstar, crashed, repaired, more sim time, doing OK now.
One thing I have learned the hard way is on landing in a large area, it is easy to focus on the plane and not said large area, therefore landing on the edge of the field. This is expensive! And trainers float for-freaking-ever.

-two months after SS purchase