Cloud waste is rarely exotic. It is usually a few oversized servers, environments nobody switched off, and storage nobody has looked at for years. Before considering any architectural change, it is worth working through a simple checklist.
The checklist
Look at utilisation, not size. Collect a couple of weeks of usage data and compare it to what each server is sized for. Consistently low usage is a candidate for a smaller size, with scaling to cover peaks.
Find forgotten environments. Test and staging environments from past projects are a common source of recurring cost. Tag everything, then look for what has no owner.
Tier old storage. Logs and backups from years ago rarely need fast storage. Lifecycle rules can move them to cheaper tiers automatically.
Commit only to the baseline. Reserved or committed pricing saves money for steady usage, once you know what steady usage is. Measure first.
Check data transfer. Traffic between regions or zones can be a surprising line item. Keeping chatty services close together often fixes it.
What not to do first
Do not rewrite applications to save money before the easy items are addressed. The checklist above is operations work with low risk. Bigger changes deserve a business case once the simple savings have been made.
Results vary by setup. We review your actual usage and costs before suggesting changes, and any estimate is specific to your account.