# Section 15 — Cost Controls

> Companion to [`musehub-production-readiness-checklist.md`](../musehub-production-readiness-checklist.md).

## Verified today

- **Baseline cost is well-documented** in `docs/infrastructure.md`: ~$35/mo for both environments
  running (2× `t3.small`/`t3.medium` EC2, 2× Elastic IP, 2× EBS gp3 20GB). This already satisfies
  "document expected baseline monthly cost."
- **Tagging is inconsistent and mostly absent**: `musehub-prod` instance has only a `Name` tag;
  `musehub-staging` has `Name` + `Environment` but nothing else. The `musehub-releases` S3 bucket
  has **no tags at all** (`NoSuchTagSet`). No `Owner`, `Managed-by`, or `Cost-center` tags exist
  anywhere. ECR repo tags couldn't be checked (permission denied) — likely the same story.
- **Account-level budgets, Cost Anomaly Detection, and billing contacts** — all blocked, same
  permissions gap as Sections 2/3/13. Needs Gabriel or the broader-access grant.
- **Shared account with Stori** (Section 2) means cost attribution between the two projects is
  not currently possible without consistent tagging — this is the practical reason tagging matters
  more here than it would in a MuseHub-dedicated account.

## Checklist assessment

- [ ] Apply consistent cost-allocation tags. — **not done**, confirmed inconsistent/absent above
- [ ] Create monthly AWS budgets. — **blocked**, needs Gabriel/broader access
- [ ] Alert Gabriel and Aaron at multiple thresholds. — N/A until budgets exist
- [ ] Enable Cost Anomaly Detection. — **blocked**
- [ ] Review NAT Gateway, data-transfer, and logging costs. — N/A for NAT (none exists, Section 5);
  logging cost is a real open item given `/musehub/staging`'s unlimited retention (Section 12) —
  1.7GB and growing forever
- [x] Set log-retention limits. — tracked as an open item under Section 12, not duplicated here
- [ ] Set backup-retention limits consistent with recovery requirements. — N/A, no backups exist yet (Section 8)
- [ ] Right-size production after load testing. — not done, no load testing has occurred
- [ ] Review idle resources. — not reviewed; worth checking whether staging is stopped when unused per `docs/infrastructure.md`'s own suggestion ("stop when not in use to reduce cost") — evidence suggests it's left running (log group actively receiving traffic during this session)
- [x] Document expected baseline monthly cost. — already done in `docs/infrastructure.md` (~$35/mo)
- [ ] Document the cost implications of autoscaling. — N/A, no autoscaling exists (Section 5)
- [ ] Configure service quotas and limits deliberately. — not done, same as Section 5's open item
- [ ] Review production cost weekly during the first month. — process doesn't exist yet, deferred to Section 19 (Post-Launch)
- [ ] Add owner and purpose tags to every billable resource. — **not done**, see tagging findings above
- [ ] Alert on untagged or unexpectedly expensive resources where practical. — not done

## The actual work items here

1. Apply a consistent tag set (`Application`, `Environment`, `Owner`, `Managed-by`, `Cost-center`)
   across every resource — cheap to do now, gets much harder to retrofit later, and directly
   enables cost attribution in the shared Stori/MuseHub account.
2. Once broader access lands: set up account-level budgets with multi-threshold alerts to both
   Gabriel and Aaron, and enable Cost Anomaly Detection.
3. Decide whether staging should actually be stopped during idle periods per `infrastructure.md`'s
   own suggestion, given it appears to be left running continuously today.