How to Cut Your LLM API Bill: 7 Token-Saving Tips

## Token cost is a product decision

LLM cost depends on context length, model choice, output size and caching. Start by trimming old messages, shortening system prompts, setting max_tokens, routing simple tasks to cheaper models, caching repeated answers, asking for structured output only when needed, and tracking cost per feature.

``python
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(api_key="YOUR_CLAUDEN_KEY", base_url="https://clauden.ai/v1")
resp = client.chat.completions.create(model="gemini-1.5-pro", messages=[{"role":"user","content":"Summarize in 5 bullets."}], max_tokens=300)
``

## Why one gateway helps

When Claude, GPT and Gemini sit behind one balance, you can benchmark real prompts and route each task to the best price-performance model. Use the ClaudeN AI $5 free credit to measure your own workload before choosing a budget.