Why My AI Coding Was Costing a Fortune and How I Slashed Costs by 14x with R1+Sonnet in Cursor

As a developer glued to Cursor IDE for AI-assisted coding, I hit a breaking point. My dependence on models like O1 was emptying my wallet without delivering top results. Then I discovered the R1+Sonnet combo. After experimenting, I found a workaround that boosted my productivity while drastically cutting expenses. Let me show you how I did it.

The Core Problem: High Expenses and Subpar AI Performance

I was using the same model for everything in Cursor. Costs piled up while results disappointed. When tackling complex jobs like multi-language refactoring, the AI would overlook details, creating rework headaches. Then I saw aider’s benchmark: R1+Sonnet outperformed others while costing 14x less than O1. That got my attention. R1 acts as a strategic planner, while Sonnet executes code precisely. Together? They changed everything.

My Step-by-Step Workaround in Cursor

Since Cursor doesn’t natively support this combo yet, I created a manual switching method. It feels awkward but works remarkably well. Here’s my exact process:

• Step 1: Plan with R1 in Architect Mode – First, I use Deepseek R1 (in Cursor’s composer) to map out strategies. I’ll prompt: “Outline steps to refactor this Python/JavaScript mix.” R1 thinks through architecture, often in <thinking></thinking> blocks for clarity.
• Step 2: Switch to Sonnet for Execution – With the plan set, I manually switch to Claude Sonnet. My prompt becomes action-focused: “Implement these code changes based on the plan.” Sonnet writes cleaner code with fewer errors, saving revision time.
• Step 3: Optimize for Cost and Speed – I use Fireworks.ai for R1 (cheaper despite smaller context) and Claude for Sonnet (reliable). This switching method accelerated my workflow by 30% and saves me hundreds monthly.

Key Takeaways and What’s Next

This approach reshaped my coding. Projects that dragged for hours now finish quicker with better output. The biggest win? Cost reduction – I matched that 14x savings by pairing R1’s planning with Sonnet’s coding. I’m hoping Cursor adds built-in multi-model collaboration soon. Meanwhile, if you’re struggling with costs or quality, try this manual switch. It’s surprisingly effective while we wait for smarter integrations.