PC or xbox? Try reducing consumer goods factories on PC (I played a game were I went -200+ on everything until I literally nuked half my new worlds. Then suddenly my economy BOOMED.) On xbox (and PC) build solar panels on spaceports, redistribute the land space to be more power plants (MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AN ENERGY NEXUS/POWER GRID ON EVERY PLANET). Also if you just reduce your mining stations that can help sometimes. Not to mention checking if you can’t administrate the planets you have (you have too many) or your fleet size is too big. Yes I realize this post was probably made by an experienced player but I kinda made this for people too scared to ask the same question.

[b]reduce fleet size[/b], also when trading on the galactic market, never sell more than half of your earned resources surplus ( the +number), market fee is added on to any of your energy revenue, so if you sell say 20 minerals at a minimum of 9, you have to at minimum pay the market fee on that 9 ec (9x.30= 2.7ec market fee) the game tacks on the total market fee based on your minimum. so if you sell for 9, you're actually selling for 11.7, if the price of minerals is below that your "broker" won't sell and you'll lose the EC revenue. That's not a terrible thing, you want to keep your minerals for all their worth, consumer goods and rare materials, doubly so, because the market will come back as the demand goes back up, especially if you start building civilian fabricators, or increase your trade value and economy. If you pursue insider trading I think it's either a discovery, or technology you can reduce market fee to 20%, much better deal. I tend to take my most abundant resource and make it the cash crop, and use a scaling model for my my other less abundant resources. if you have a market suffering from a deficit in a certain material, check what it's upkeep is before building more. Stellaris is a game of galactic empires not short term strategy, your market strategy should be similar. Edit: create an anchorage, and crew quarters space port, and dock your military fleet there, adding a fleet command, and other beneficial perks will also help later on, always have your fleet orbiting this starport until it's needed and your upkeep will be reduced by x% that's a significant number once you start accumulating more resources.

Have you tried communism?