It's not scary once you get the hang of it, trust me, I was there once. Take proper care of them, and they will last, cheaper LiPos are known to explode since they are well, cheaper. All you need is a good charger, good LiPo, a storage area, and the proper knowledge to maintain and care for LiPos.
I would go with the Arrma Granite 3s instead, it's $30 cheaper than the Stampede 4x4 VXL. Also, the Granite 3s doesn't use any proprietary connector unlike Traxxas and their TRX connector which you can't buy anymore. Well except for the 14mm hex and 23t servo in the Granite, but those can be...
You will also need a LiPo and charger, that will cost about $100 - $130. In my experience, the Traxxas 2wd line is pretty weak, I broke something on my Slash 2wd almost every run. I might've gotten a lemon though.
Charger I use. For the LiPo, it will be hard to find as the battery tray is...
Welcome to the forum! It's going to be hard to find what you're looking for that's within your budget. The MST MTX-1 might be your best bet as it's a scale MT, and is similar to your Radio Shack Carnivore. You do need to supply your own 2s LiPo and you need a LiPo charger for it. Some issues...