Economic uncertainty is forcing organizations to optimize their resources, including IT spend, as they seek to wring every ounce of productivity out of existing budgets. One area that often gets overlooked is how the data is modeled in the database, which can significantly impact costs and infrastructure requirements. Data modeling can be optimized using NoSQL databases like MongoDB, which are designed to eliminate expensive joins, reduce CPU utilization, and save on compute costs. By characterizing the workload, identifying entities and relationships, and using indexing techniques, organizations can build efficient data models that minimize costs and maximize productivity. Additionally, NoSQL databases offer benefits such as reduced maintenance overhead, increased developer productivity, and lower license fees, making them an attractive alternative to traditional relational databases.