The Right-Sizing Recipe: Azure Advisor Cost Optimization Masterclass

🔍 What It Does

• 🆓 FREE Azure native tool - no setup, configuration, or premium subscriptions required
• 📊 6 types of cost recommendations: VM right-sizing (30-50% savings), idle gateways ($140-730/month), Reserved Instances (40-72% savings), SQL optimization (20-40%), ExpressRoute circuits ($50-6,000/month), App Service autoscaling (20-60%)
• 👨‍🍳 Chef's 5-Step Recipe: Run analysis (5 min) → Prioritize by impact (10 min) → Validate recommendations (15 min) → Take action (30 min) → Track savings (5 min)
• 💻 Multiple access methods: Azure Portal, direct link, PowerShell commands for automation
• 📈 Advanced features: Azure Resource Graph queries, Advisor Alerts for new recommendations, Workbooks for visualization
• 📋 Real-world success: 50-person SaaS startup saved $2,840/month ($34,080 annually) in 4 hours, achieving $8,520 ROI per hour

⚙️ Requirements Checklist

• ✅ Azure subscription with Reader access (already have this if using Azure)
• ✅ Web browser for Azure Portal access or PowerShell for automation
• ✅ 30 minutes monthly time investment for sustainable cost optimization
• ✅ No special tools, no enterprise licenses, no complex setup required

📌 Talk Nerdy Tip:

Set a recurring calendar event: "First Monday - Azure Cost Checkup." Do this every month and you'll save thousands annually. It's that simple. 30 minutes of focus = $2,000-5,000 in savings per month.