Haven't been behind the scope for 6 months (travelling and couldn't bring my scope with me unfortunately), but I'm kind of a beginner so take my advice for what it's worth ...
- Definitely go with the NEQ6 Pro. It's a great mount and you'll love it.
- Get a Bahtinov mask. It'll make focusing soooo much easier. You can make your own quite easily. Here's the Bahtinov Mask Generator, and here's a guide with pictures.
- Agree with forgetting the Barlows.
- Autoguiding can come later, so don't stress about it for now. Plenty to do and learn without it for a long while until you save up some more money.
Enjoy the slippery slope!