Understanding your cloud spending is essential for cost optimization. Cloud providers offer built-in tools to help you analyze and visualize your expenses. In AWS, the primary tool is Cost Explorer, while Azure provides Cost Management, and Google Cloud offers Billing dashboards. These dashboards allow you to break down your spending by service, project, or resource, making it easier to identify where your money goes and spot trends over time.

Customizing your dashboards is key for effective cost monitoring. Set up views that highlight your top spenders by grouping by service or tag. Use filters to focus on the most expensive resources or projects. Enable alerts or visual cues for sudden spikes in spending these can indicate unexpected usage or misconfigurations. Regularly reviewing and adjusting your dashboard ensures you catch anomalies early and always have a clear picture of where your cloud budget is going.