Yeah, there is no shame in that. When I first started flying I had aquired some hobbyzone foam high wing 3 CH trainer when I was 16 that multiple family members had to go together on to buy me for my birthday (I think it was $100 at the time). It had a brushed motor and NICD batteries. It lasted quite a while. I kind of wish I hadn't trashed the airframe, I would just stick some modern electronics in it.
Then my next planes were SPADs, which were kind of like flite test before flite test. They were made from coroplast (election sign material). I had a JR 72mhx radio I saved up for in college, and I also had a .28 or something like that raggedy used glow motor I bought off ebay. The planes were typically held together by stove bolts and super glue.
All that to say I have done it both ways, and both have their merit and are fun. There is some fun to be had scrounging for "just the right part" in a scrap bin or hardware store too. There is no one way that is better than the other.