I'm developing an app to help foreign Buddhist monks in Thailand learn Thai and Pali languages. The app incorporates LLMs for interactive learning, and I'm experimenting with spaced repetition techniques within chatbot interfaces and for long-form text memorization.

Right now I'm running everything on AWS, but the cost feels overkill for my current needs. Since my past professional background is in AWS, it was the default choice, but given that this project is currently funded through my own savings and I'm currently unemployed, I'm looking to minimize costs. Scalability isn't a concern as the user base is small.

Currently I'm using 3rd party LLM APIs, but in the future I may want to explore serving open-source models that I fine-tune specifically for language learning and Buddhist text exploration.

Does anyone have recommendations for budget friendly alternatives that would suit these needs? Ideally, something that could handle a future transition to self-hosted models if needed.

Also, if anyone has experience with applying spaced repetition or other memorization techniques to chatbot interfaces and long-form text retention, I'd love to hear your thoughts.