There are a few things I have messed up on.
When exploring outside the bubble (the large concentration of inhabited systems) carry an AFMS, especially if you are using jet cone boosts from neutron stars. These boosts damage your frame shift drive (about 1%-2% per supercharge). Once your FSD health gets to 80% it will start to malfunction.
Use online websites to find stations, outfitting, commodities, etc. It's a pain to just jump around looking for certain items, and you will waste your time.
Never jump right into battle with a new expensive ship. Upgrade it, and test it first. That's one reason I lost hours worth of money.
ALWAYS have enough money to cover insurance costs. I spent almost a week traveling outside the bubble to make enough money for an Anaconda. I got shot down as soon as I got it. I didn't have enough money to cover the insurance, and lost an entire week of gameplay.
