Introduction

Cloud services charge based on usage, which can add up quickly if not watched. Cost management helps you keep track of spending and avoid surprises on your bill.

When you want to avoid unexpected high bills from cloud usage.

When you need to plan your budget for cloud resources over time.

When you want to find which services or projects cost the most.

When you want to optimize your cloud setup to save money.

When you need to report cloud spending to your team or manager.

Commands

This command fetches the total blended cost for your AWS account for May 2024. It helps you see how much you spent in that month.

Terminal

aws ce get-cost-and-usage --time-period Start=2024-05-01,End=2024-05-31 --granularity MONTHLY --metrics BlendedCost

Expected OutputExpected

{ "ResultsByTime": [ { "TimePeriod": { "Start": "2024-05-01", "End": "2024-05-31" }, "Total": { "BlendedCost": { "Amount": "123.45", "Unit": "USD" } }, "Groups": [], "Estimated": false } ] }

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--time-period - Defines the start and end dates for the cost query.

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--granularity - Sets the level of detail for the cost data (DAILY, MONTHLY, or HOURLY).

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--metrics - Specifies which cost metric to retrieve, like BlendedCost or UnblendedCost.

This command breaks down your May 2024 costs by AWS service. It helps identify which services cost the most.

Terminal

aws ce get-cost-and-usage --time-period Start=2024-05-01,End=2024-05-31 --granularity MONTHLY --metrics BlendedCost --group-by Type=DIMENSION,Key=SERVICE

Expected OutputExpected

{ "ResultsByTime": [ { "TimePeriod": { "Start": "2024-05-01", "End": "2024-05-31" }, "Groups": [ { "Keys": ["Amazon EC2"], "Metrics": { "BlendedCost": { "Amount": "70.00", "Unit": "USD" } } }, { "Keys": ["Amazon S3"], "Metrics": { "BlendedCost": { "Amount": "30.00", "Unit": "USD" } } }, { "Keys": ["AWS Lambda"], "Metrics": { "BlendedCost": { "Amount": "23.45", "Unit": "USD" } } } ], "Estimated": false } ] }

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--group-by - Groups cost data by a dimension such as SERVICE to see detailed breakdowns.

Key Concept

If you remember nothing else from this pattern, remember: tracking your cloud costs regularly helps you avoid surprises and save money.

Common Mistakes

Not specifying the correct time period in the cost query.

You might get data for the wrong dates or no data at all.

Always set the --time-period flag with the exact start and end dates you want.

Ignoring the grouping option and only looking at total costs.

You miss which services or projects are driving your costs.

Use --group-by to break down costs by service or linked account.

Summary

Use AWS Cost Explorer CLI commands to check your cloud spending.

Specify time periods and groupings to get detailed cost insights.

Regular cost checks help prevent unexpected bills and optimize spending.