Your LLM Bill Is Too High. Here's How to Fix It (Part 1)

The cheapest LLM call is the one you do not make. Everyone building with LLMs eventually hits the same wall. The prototype works, usage climbs, and suddenly the API bill starts doing things nobody planned for. The problem is usually not that AI is expensive. The problem is that teams are using models for work that should never have touched a model in the first place. Before you debate GPT versus Claude versus Gemini, ask a more basic question: Do you need an LLM at all? Rule: use an LLM when the