optimize-cloud-costs

Implement comprehensive cost optimization strategies for Kubernetes clusters to reduce cloud spending.

Expected: Kubecost pods running successfully. UI accessible showing cost breakdown by namespace, deployment, pod. Cloud provider costs importing (may take 24-48 hours for initial sync). API returning allocation data.

Expected: Clear view of current resource requests vs actual usage. Identification of pods with <30% utilization (over-provisioned). List of optimization opportunities with estimated savings. Dashboard showing utilization trends over time.

Implement cloud cost optimization strategies for Kubernetes workloads using tools like Kubecost for visibility, right-sizing recommendations, horizontal and vertical pod autoscaling, spot/preemptible instances, and resource quotas. Covers cost allocation, showback reporting, and continuous optimization practices. Use when cloud costs are growing without proportional business value, when resource requests are misaligned with actual usage, when manual scaling leads to over-provisioning, or when implementing showback and chargeback for internal cost accountability. Source: pjt222/development-guides.