Being able to get a plane up and down a few times is an accomplishment, and I'm not trying to lessen that fact in the least. But there is so much more to this than getting a plane up and down. In your above quote you say that you need to get better before you fly around other people. You are actually going to be hurting yourself if you do this. You are learning habits in the way you fly now, and if you are learning incorrectly it's going to be hard (or almost impossible) to un-learn bad habits. The best thing that you can do is go to the club and explain your situation, and let them spend some time with your refining what you have already learned.

Simulators are great teaching tools, when used properly. IMHO a simulator should not be used until you have started learning from an instructor. Just like my above statement, you can learn bad habits with the simulator that can be hard or impossible to un-learn later. A simulator should be used to practice and refine what you have learned from an instructor. Look to full scale pilots as an example. They don't sit a student in a simulator to teach himself to fly, and then let him fly a real plane when he thinks he is ready. Rather, the simulator is used to practice on after his instructions have started.

There are more things that an instructor will teach than just the flying. They will teach flying SAFELY, properly tuning an engine, safely starting an engine, correct ways to set up an airplane, how to properly install your radio equipment, proper procedures safely flying with others in the air, handling the plane in an emergency, what to do when the engine quits in the air, helping you with a second plane when the time comes, how to repair crash damage, and many many more things too numerous to mention. I can't say it enough, please get an instructor now to finish learning. Especially if you plan on flying at a club with other people.

That's my 2¢ worth

Ken