Tutorial Shows How to Build a Token-Budgeted LLM Service on a Free Server

A developer tutorial published on DEV Community walks readers through building a Python-based LLM endpoint that enforces a hard token budget to control API costs. The guide introduces a TokenBudget class that estimates, truncates, and tracks token usage, preventing overspending before it happens. The tutorial uses MonkeyCode, a platform offering free model access and a free server tier that included 10 million tokens at the time of writing, though readers are advised to verify current quotas. The project requires Python 3.11 or later, a single dependency (httpx), and approximately 30 minutes to complete. Each build stage ends with a verification command, making the setup process straightforward and auditable.