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Developer Shares Token Budget Guard to Prevent Free AI API Tier Overuse

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A developer has published a lightweight Python script designed to track and limit token consumption when using free AI model endpoints. The tool maintains a local JSON ledger that estimates token costs before each API call and records actual usage afterward, refusing to proceed if the projected total would exceed a set budget. The approach addresses common pitfalls such as runaway retry loops and oversized context buffers that can silently drain a free tier's token allowance before dashboard alerts trigger. The script is built around the OpenAI-style chat completion format and can be adapted to other compatible endpoints by swapping a single function. The article was written as part of promotional outreach for MonkeyCode, an open-source project offering a free model route and hosted server.

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