I hope you can find an instructor. it will save you alot of money and you, anybody or thing will be safe.  If you just cant find one, then  get on a simulator and fly it for at least 2 or 3 weeks until it all becomes second nature, that will help alot.   Just remember that flying a plane is nothing like the simulator, you will just have gotten most of the basic principles out of the way and have them learned.  Forget about the flaps right now. you will be so busy with the other controls that you wont even think or you wont have time to figure out how to use them. Flaps just complicate things for new pilots