I recall CR saying early on that a week's mission-running would be enough to upgrade from a starter ship to a Freelancer-class ship
so if you have a limited budget just stick with the Mustang and earn your Titan or whatever in-game
There are situations where realism and good gameplay are at odds. In-game travel is a good example.
We all want to be where the cool stuff is happening, but in our large org the haps are going to be all over the PU. If it takes all the time you can give to a gaming session just to get to the...