First of all, nearly all instruction is free, so not having money for an instructor should not be an issue. However, if you don't have time to learn properly, one would question why you want to bother. This hobby takes time. Learning with an instructor will actually get you flying quicker and cheaper, because you will spend your time flying instead of crashing and repairing or replacing your plane. If you really want to go it alone, take some time to read the threads in this forum. This question has been asked over and over, and it seems people have become weary of entertaining it.

To answer your specific question, I prefer glow (not gas, there is a difference) planes, if a club is available for flying. If I were going to fly at a local park, I would choose electric because they are smaller, slower, and quieter. Gas planes are large and expensive and as such do not make good beginner planes.