A simulator will help you out A LOT. Before I ever flew an r/c plane, I spent like 2 months on Realflight. When I finally buddy corded and flew for the first time, everyone was super impressed that I could hold altitude and kept constant control of the plane. To put it in perspective, most n00bs when they fly for the first time, they're all over the skies and the instructor usually will have to take the controls A LOT.
Like I said, took me 9 flights to become solo certified. Probably the biggest difference between the simulator and real life is just the added depth perception. It's something to get used to, and it's VERY important when landing. It's very hard to tell if you're lined up and over the runway on landing, which is a big depth perception thing.
If you can squeeze the simulator in your budget, buy it.
