Living in "No Man's Sky" is no different than living in the real world: money talks; cash rules. To survive in that sci-fi universe, you need to amass an extraordinary amount of money to trade, fix your ship and buy some fuel to explore.
So what are the best ways to earn money in "No Man's Sky?" You should first know how and what to prioritize. The ship and your Exosuit should be upgraded before anything else. When you land on different pods in the universe, you will have the chance to trade your stuff in exchange for another slot in your suit. The trick is to spend your money, buy those stuff and trade them later at a higher amount.
A very simple, but necessary, task in "No Man's Sky" is to mine. Everything that you can mine has a monetary value when you go to trading posts. Take note, however, that your inventory slot is limited. At one point, your Exosuit will max out and one helpful tip is for you to transfer valuable elements to your ship. These are things that you may later need to repair your space craft. It is helpful if you transfer your gold and platinum to your ship right away to max it out to 500. Remember that your Exosuit has only 250 capacity to start with.
The next trick is a simple rule in the business world: buy low, sell high. When you are done with your mining business, go to the nearest trading terminal in "No Man's Sky." Once inside, you can select the Sell button and check the prices they are offering. Red means less than the price you bought it for, while yellow means more. Master the market game since one stuff may be insignificant in one solar system, but has a greater value in the next system you are heading.
