Reduce Token Usage to Cut Cost
Measure first, then trim. This counts a padded, over-polite prompt so you can see the tokens the filler is costing — before you cut it.
Overview
You cannot cut what you have not measured. This loads a deliberately verbose, please-and-thank-you prompt and counts it, so the cost of padding is a number rather than a feeling. Measurement is this tool's job; the actual trimming — removing redundancy and noise without changing meaning — is the Prompt Cleaner's. Used together, the loop is tight: count here, clean there, count again, and watch the per-1,000-calls figure drop.
Workflow
-
Count the padded prompt
See what the filler and politeness are costing in tokens.
-
Trim with the Cleaner
Remove redundancy and noise without changing meaning.
-
Re-count
Measure again and watch the per-1,000-calls figure fall.
Why This Works
- You cannot reduce what you have not measured — counting comes first
- The cost line makes padding a number, not a hunch
- Counting here and trimming in the Cleaner closes a tight loop
Best for
- Quantifying the cost of verbose prompts
- High-volume jobs where every token scales
- Pairing measurement with the Prompt Cleaner
Not for
- Doing the trimming itself — that's the Prompt Cleaner
- Restructuring a messy prompt — that's the Prompt Formatter
Use cases
- Quantifying the cost of verbose prompts
- High-volume jobs where every token scales
- Pairing measurement with the Prompt Cleaner