The Context Habit
Better answers from the assistant you already pay for, by managing what it can actually see.
24 pagesA5 · prints A4/LetterInstant PDF
$14.99$11.24
Developer field guide
Cut your AI coding bill without cutting the quality of what it writes.
The Token-Smart Developer — Faster, Cheaper AI Coding
If you code with AI assistants, you have probably discovered the catch: these tools meter everything you do in tokens, and tokens are money. This 24-page field guide covers the habits, settings, and free tools experienced developers use to cut their AI coding costs by 40–90% — while getting better results, not worse — with copy-paste-ready configurations and plain-language explanations of why they work.
Instant PDF download after checkout on Payhip. Nothing is shipped.
What's inside
- The three mental models that make every optimization make sense — token compounding, context rot, and the 90% caching discount
- Setting up VS Code + Claude Code so it burns minimal tokens from day one
- Claude deep dive: CLAUDE.md project memory, /clear vs /compact, choosing the right model tier for each job, and the hidden cost of MCP servers
- The cost levers in every other major tool — Copilot, Cursor, Gemini, Windsurf, Codex — now that all of them meter usage
- Cross-tool habits that always pay: structured prompts, small scope, plan-first, diff edits over rewrites
- The free GitHub toolkit, ranked by adoption — usage meters, output filters, terse-output skills, model routers — including who should skip them entirely
- Copy-paste prompts that make your AI assistant build its own token-saving environment
- A four-week rollout plan and a plain-language glossary of every term used
Who it's for
- Developers who code with AI assistants and keep hitting usage limits or surprise bills
- Beginners who want copy-paste configurations with plain-language reasons they work
Who it's not for
- Anyone who wants promised savings — the percentages are practitioner measurements, and the book shows you how to measure your own
- Developers who don't use metered AI coding tools at all
AI tooling changes fast. This First Edition synthesizes vendor documentation and community-measured practitioner results current as of July 2026 — and the book itself tells you to verify pricing and features against the vendors' documentation before spending money. Savings percentages are practitioner measurements, not promises; they vary by workload, and the book shows you how to measure your own.
Guidance, not gospel — this is a practical organisation tool, not legal, tax, medical, or religious authority.
Held to The CalmKit Standard
First Edition, July 2026 · For a book about working well with AI, we would hope so.
Drafted with AI assistance and then reviewed and curated by a real person who's been through it.
Please verify independently. Where a step depends on current rules or prices, the guide says so on the page.
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