Claude Opus 5 can cut your AI bill without cutting the work — here's how
Thursday · Actually Useful AI · August 6, 2026 · 6 min read
Most people don't know Claude now lets you control how hard it thinks about each question, and that control is sitting right next to the send button. Here's how to use it to get faster answers on the easy stuff and sharper answers on the hard stuff, without paying for power you don't need.
Most small business owners use Claude the same way for every task, one setting, whether it's a two-line email or a full client proposal. Claude Opus 5 changed that. It now lets you dial how much thinking it does before it responds, and using that dial well saves you real time.
Feature 01: Understanding the effort dial
The model menu next to the send button controls three things: which Claude model you're chatting with, how much effort it puts into each response, and whether it uses extended thinking. Effort controls how thoroughly Claude reasons through a problem before answering. Low effort means a fast, direct answer. Higher effort means Claude works the problem from more angles before responding, which takes longer but goes deeper.
Claude Platform Docs
Open the model menu. Click the model name next to the send button in any Claude conversation.
Find the effort setting. You'll see the current effort level listed alongside the model name.
Choose a level for your task. Lower for anything quick and routine, higher for anything with real stakes.
Send your message as usual. No other change to how you write your prompt.
Feature 02: Matching effort to the actual work
The mistake most people will make is leaving it on the default for everything. The dial only pays off if you actually move it based on what you're asking.
Low effort: formatting a newsletter, cleaning up meeting notes, rewriting a caption, quick replies
Medium effort (the default): most day-to-day writing, client emails, first drafts of blog posts
High effort: reviewing a contract, building a financial plan, working through a real strategy decision
If you're not sure which level to use, ask yourself whether getting it wrong would cost you money or a client relationship. If yes, move the dial up.
Feature 03: Turning on Extended Thinking when it counts
Thinking and effort are separate settings, and you can use any combination of the two. The thinking toggle controls whether Claude works through its reasoning in an expandable section before responding.
Claude Platform Docs
Open the model menu the same way as before.
Switch the Thinking toggle on. You'll see a "Thinking" indicator with a timer while Claude works.
Click to expand it if you want to see how Claude arrived at its answer, useful for anything you need to explain or defend to someone else later.
Try It This Week
Take a task you'd normally hand Claude without thinking about it, a client email, a proposal outline, whatever's next on your list. Run it once at low effort and once at high effort, and compare what comes back.
Starter prompt to try at low effort:
"Rewrite this client email so it's warmer and more concise, keep the length under 100 words: [paste your draft]"
Then try the same request at high effort and notice the difference in how much Claude pushes back or offers alternatives.
I help business owners actually use AI, not just read about it. If you want someone to show you exactly how to put this to work in your business, reach out at hannah@coachhannahcox.com.
