Cut Claude Code Token Costs by 70%: Practical Optimization Guide

Cut Claude Code Token Costs by 70%: Practical Optimization Guide Why Costs Spiral Out of Control Common reasons Claude Code gets expensive: Bloated CLAUDE.md - loaded in every conversation Reading entire files - only need specific sections Using Opus for everything - Haiku/Sonnet often sufficient Repeating the same research - no caching strategy Tip 1: Minimize CLAUDE.md CLAUDE.md is included in every conversation context. Keep it under 50 lines. Before (300-line CLAUDE.md): ## Environment OS: Windows 11 Python: 3.13 Node.js: 20.x ...50 lines of setup instructions... ...100 lines of coding conventions... After (50 lines max): ## Core Rules - Minimal changes only - Run tests after changes - See: `docs/patterns.md` ## Stack Python 3.13 / Node 20 / Windows 11 Reference detailed docs when needed. Claude reads them on demand. Tip 2: Use Models Strategically Task Opus Sonnet Haiku File search Too expensive OK Best Implementation OK Best Too slow Architecture Best OK No grep/list No No Best H