Obviously the best approach is to work with an instructor day 1, but you certainly have the right idea with the electric.
I bought a 4 channel (3D capable) foam electric to start with & went out to the field to start with & lets just say I kept Parkzone in business for a few months with all my parts orders to repair crash damage. Fortunately though my total bill for all repairs probably didn't exceed 100 bucks before I got to the point that I didn't crash anymore.
When I bought my first glow trainer & joined a local club the solo process with the instructor was more of a formality because I already had 70+ flights under my belt. (plus some simulator time)
I'm certainly not encouraging anyone to do what I did but if you don't live near an airfield start out with cheap (somewhat safer) planes & work your way up.