💰 "Azure is too expensive!" 💰

We hear this statement from time to time. And sure, cloud costs can spiral out of control if your setup isn’t designed efficiently. But here’s the thing: Azure itself isn’t usually the problem - bad design choices are. Think of Azure like an all-you-can-eat buffet. If you pile your plate sky-high with everything in sight, you’ll pay for it (and probably regret it later). The trick is knowing what you actually need and using it wisely.

So, what common mistakes lead to higher-than-expected Azure costs? Let’s dive into the culprits and how to fix them.

1️⃣ Overprovisioning Resources 🚀

⚠️ Buying a Ferrari when all you need is a bicycle? That’s overprovisioning in the cloud. Too often, businesses spin up massive VMs and premium services when a smaller instance (or autoscaling) would do the job just fine.

✅ Right-size your resources. Use Azure Advisor to check if you're paying for more power than you actually use. Consider scaling up only when needed instead of running large VMs 24/7.

2️⃣ Leaving Resources Running When You Don’t Need Them 🕰️

⚠️ Would you leave your office lights on overnight? Probably not. But many businesses leave non-production environments (like dev/test workloads) running 24/7, racking up unnecessary costs.

✅ Schedule VMs and other resources to shut down outside of business hours using Azure Automation or Azure DevTest Labs. No need to pay for something you’re not using!

3️⃣ Paying for Premium Storage When You Don’t Need It 🏦

⚠️ Sure, premium SSD storage sounds great. But if you’re using it for data that barely gets accessed, you’re throwing money away. Think of it like renting a storage unit for a bunch of old furniture you never plan to use.

✅ Use the right storage tier for the right data. Azure offers Hot, Cool, and Archive storage—so if you’re keeping old logs or backups, move them to a cheaper tier.

4️⃣ Ignoring Azure Reserved Instances & Savings Plans 🎟️

⚠️ Would you pay full price for Netflix every month if they offered a 40% discount for committing to a year? No? Then why pay full price for Azure when you know you’ll need certain resources long-term?

✅ Use Reserved Instances or Savings Plans for predictable workloads. These can save you up to 72% on VM costs. Don’t leave easy money on the table!

5️⃣ Poorly Designed Networking = High Data Egress Costs 🌍

⚠️ Azure loves charging for data leaving its network. If your architecture constantly moves data in and out of Azure, you could be racking up unexpected egress fees.

✅ Minimise unnecessary data movement by keeping workloads within the same region and using Azure’s Content Delivery Network (CDN) where possible. Also, review your ExpressRoute and VPN configurations.

6️⃣ Keeping Too Many Backups & Snapshots 📦

⚠️ Backups are important, but do you really need 30 versions of that project from 2019? Many businesses store backups indefinitely, burning through storage and increasing costs.

✅ Implement a smart backup policy. Use Azure Backup’s lifecycle management to auto-expire old backups and retain only what’s necessary.

So, What’s the Verdict? 🔍

Azure isn’t too expensive - but bad cloud architecture is. The good news? There’s almost always room for cost savings. When was the last time you had your cloud infrastructure reviewed? If it’s been a while (or never), you might be paying over the odds.

At Mondo Cloud, we specialise in Microsoft Azure. Whether you’re thinking about moving to the cloud but worried about costs, or you’re already in Azure and want to optimise your setup - why not have a chat with us?

📨 Get in touch to explore how we can help streamline your cloud costs without compromising performance.

• info@mondocloud.co.uk

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