---
title: Cutting cloud spend 25% by removing, not tuning
description: Proved a data-persistence layer, and the SQL Server dependency behind it, could be eliminated entirely instead of optimized around.
date: 2024-03-02
tags: cost reduction, simplification, cloud
source: https://brianchildress.co/projects/cloud-cost-cut-by-deletion
---

# Cutting cloud spend 25% by removing, not tuning

## Situation

The same platform carried a data-persistence layer, including a Microsoft SQL Server dependency, that had accumulated more from habit than from need.

## What I did

Rather than optimize around it, I proved it could be eliminated entirely and retired it, along with the SQL Server instance it depended on.

## Result

Overall cloud spend fell by 25%. No feature regressed. The savings came from deletion, which is rare and clean: there was simply less system left to pay for and maintain.