How to avoid unexpected charges when using AWS

Create a budget

Go to AWS Billing > Budgets and create a budget to receive notifications if your spending reaches it.

Change the Billing preferences

Go to AWS Billing > Billing preferences and active 

• PDF invoices delivery by email
• AWS Free Tier alerts
• CloudWatch billing alerts

Check the current month costs

On a constant basis go to the main page, and on the Cost and Usage widget check your current month costs and forecasted month-end costs. Also think about deleting all the widgets, but this one.

Usage and charge information is shown after 24 hours

"The Billing and Cost Management console takes about 24 hours to update usage and charge information for active resources." https://repost.aws/knowledge-center/resources-unexpected-charges

See also

NOT in the AWS free tier