I understand that carting a starter and a battery to the field requires some sort of effort but it also assists in keeping fingers as far away from engines as possible during the starting process. I have seen several incidents where people insist on hand starting aircraft and have ended up with several stitches in fingers due to prop strike. It is not very nice and potentially very dangerous. At the very least you should have a heavy glove on your hand or use a chicken stick. For me a starter is essential and any plane with a cowling on it also has a remote glow driver fitted as well. The extra $10 is inconsequential when the cost of the plane is tallied up.

One thing I learnt very early on in this hobby after being struck by a Norvel .049 engine for a control line aircraft. Being struck by  a prop hurts and no matter how small they are they can do plenty of damage. Spend the money on a starter and battery and whilst you are at it make sure your aircraft is properly restrained during the start up process. You can save a lot of potential pain with just a little effort