Here is my two cents worth. AMA -- useless if you fly in a big enough field where there is nothing to hit. I suggest you read the policy for the specifics, for example, you are supposed to have your name and phone number in the plane.

A simulator will save you money in the long run by reducing crashes.

Two channel experience - good if the transmitter stick movements are the same as standard 4 channel operation. Bad if you have to relearn stick movements. Relearning transmitter stick movements is one of the most difficult things new pilots must do. This really prevents some guys from getting good with the rudder, because they never learned with it.

I taught myself to fly with a two channel trainer glider with a Cox .049 which I just ran until the gas ran out. Then I would just land the plane on top of 4 foot high grass that would not even let the plane hit the ground. So it is possible to teach yourself. A trainer glider is so slow you will have time to make corrections to your control input to avoid a crash. That is not true on faster trainers. Expect to crash and destroy several glow powered trainers, so the question becomes how much you can afford in cost and time to repair or replace the plane. In addition to learning how to fly, you have to learn how to build, set up, and trim it out. You might be able to use some of your existing equipment in a small foamie to build experience and reduce costs. Make the Duratrainer your third plane.

SPADs WILL get you farther for the least amount of money. There are electrics, glow, foamies, 3D, gassers. I once taught a guy to build a SPAD and gave him a few flights on the buddy box. From then on he flew by himself. He couldn't land on the runway, so he would crash land in the bushes, gassed it up and flew it again. The SPAD trainers fly plenty good enough to learn to fly. Consider you can build 10 SPADs for the cost of ONE balsa trainer. AND SPADS will usually survive 10 times the number of crashes.

Balsa trainers are the best looking, but they are the most expensive and least durable. Trying to teach yourself how to fly means you want the most durable plane available.

Last word of advice - don't listen to anyone's advice.