Fissy
I pretty much started out like you did and on my own, till I got the hang of the hover. Later I did get help, but not before many costly crashes.

My advice is this:

Get a simulator and practice till it is second nature. If they existed back in 1990 when I got my Concept 30DX I would have saved perhaps $1500 to $2000 and countless wasted hours on rebuilding. After I got my sim my crash rate was very low.

Get help from someone to make sure your setup is correct. This is not just for setup: it is for your safety and the safety of those around you. Develop your preflight routine so you don't miss something important.

Make sure the screws are snug and use Blue locktite on any in metal and degrease them first.

Good luck! Keep us posted on your progress!