I wish there was some way to control how much the next link will be able to download to render the page.

Each click is a compromise to download all the resources that the next page decides to get. This could include audio, video, badly compressed pictures, tons of ads and traffic that is out of your control after you decided to navigate.

You only get the bill after the damage has been done.

Of course, some developers can take care of it. But still, the client is a victim of those decisions without a say in the matter.