Fixing Commitment Issues for RIs and Savings Plans on AWS

AWS users can inadvertently waste money by over-committing to Reserved Instances (RIs) or Savings Plans, resulting in unused contracts and financial inefficiencies. To address these issues, various strategies can be employed, such as selling RIs on the AWS RI Marketplace, converting RIs to other types or into Savings Plans, and managing the liquidity of specific instance types. Selling RIs typically requires a US bank account, but alternatives like using Hyperwallet, a PayPal service, can be explored. While Savings Plans offer substantial discounts, they lack a resale market, making it crucial to assess infrastructure needs carefully before committing. Combining RIs and Savings Plans can optimize coverage, though it requires careful management. Ultimately, these approaches can mitigate the financial impact of over-commitments, but proactive and strategic purchasing remains the best practice. Vantage provides tools and consultation to help manage AWS discounts effectively.