chudd,
Learning on your own, very few planes will last beyond the first flight without repairs. Without an instructor your first few flights will likely not last long and will end in a hard nose-in on the ground.

Learning on your own will likely be more expensive than with an instructor, but if you don't have $400 to $500, and the desire to fly larger planes at a club, then you're pretty much stuck with one of those that you're looking at.

You could also try Hobby Lobby. They have electrics too.

Good luck,
Dennis-