Here are 11 things our family of 4 has stopped doing to save money in this economy and what we do instead

This one is tough with two teenagers in the family, but it is too easy to be lazy, especially on the weekend, and choose the closest chain restaurant over a homemade meal.

Before the pandemic, a typical meal for our family of four at a Chili's, Texas Roadhouse, or Cheesecake Factory might cost $80. Now, it is more like $110 and never below $100.

What we do instead: The big step is just eating out less. Instead of twice a week, it is now once every two weeks. And when we do go out, I'd rather spend a little more for better food and experience. So, we spend more each time we go out, but overall, we pay a lot less because we do it infrequently.

Another thing we do more now is use Costco gift cards, which can help you save 20% at some restaurants. We also do delivery a little more often. While that adds fees and tips, we save money using drinks and desserts from home.

New clothes were a more straightforward thing to cut out of our budget. I worked remotely before the pandemic, so new clothes have long been a luxury I didn't need much of. My wife is a hybrid worker now, so her work wardrobe doesn't need to be as extensive as before.

What we do instead: We still like to add items occasionally, but when we do, we are more likely to use apps like Poshmark or ThredUp. On these apps, you can find popular brands that are new or lightly used at much better prices.

It is also important to stick to items that have more flexibility, can be used with several outfits, and are less likely to go out of style. This includes things like jeans and shirts in more common and muted colors.

Starbucks used to be a near-daily routine for my wife. I was not a huge coffee drinker, but I would typically get a beverage when I was with her.

What we do instead: We purchased a nice espresso machine and now we make our daily morning lattes at home. Even I am a daily coffee drinker now.

It was a significant upfront expense, as our Barista Express cost $600 in 2020. But we were spending at least $100 every month at Starbucks. We still go to Starbucks about once a week, but the espresso machine has easily paid for itself two or three times over.

The bad news is that Starbucks is now cool for teenagers, and one of ours has the bug. We are working on that.

While inflation has come down quite a bit since its peak in June 2022, one place where Americans are still being walloped is at the grocery store. One way to save is to stop buying as many products from big brands.

We have also cut way back on prepared foods and dinners.

What we do instead: "Store brands" at a grocery store are often just as good as the big brands and cost much less. In many cases, like the Kirkland brand at Costco, they are made by the names we are more familiar with.

Of course, when you have kids, sometimes you have to be a bit clandestine when subbing the HEB mac and cheese for Kraft, but it is worth the effort.

We are also making our food from fresh ingredients much more often. Smashing up two avocados and adding some hot sauce, lime juice, and a dash of salt is a lot cheaper than buying that prepared guacamole at the store and just as yummy.

We still travel a bit, like the trip to Los Angeles to see Taylor Swift over the summer. But that came at the expense of a regular summer vacation.

We are also traveling far less often around the holidays which means longer spells without seeing some of our extended families or friends who are now spread across the country.

What we do instead: We still want to give our kids some occasional rest and relaxation away from home. But now we are leaning on more staycations. These typically include a nice hotel or adventurous Airbnb within easy driving distance. And if there is a lazy river, that's a bonus.

Many retail stores or websites like to take advantage of shoppers' impulsiveness. This often leads to a lot more money spent on stuff that might not be needed.

What we do instead: To combat some of this, our family has set up an Amazon list called "Do we really want this?" If we find something — even at other retailers — we want but don't need immediately, we add it to the Amazon list. Then, as a family, we review the list weekly.

Not only will the previous impulse often be gone in a few days, but when you see all the items you might order at once and the total price, you start to second guess if it is essential. About 80% of the items added to this list never get ordered.

Even before the pandemic, we didn't get a new iPhone every year. But now, instead of maybe every other year, it is more like every third year. Even then, we avoid the latest model and now upgrade to the previous year's version.

The other big one is not buying a new TV nearly as often. Those discounts around the holidays on that TV that is a little bit bigger or has that must-have new feature can be so tempting — remember when everybody needed a 3D TV?

What we do instead: A few years ago, instead of being lured by the latest TV sale, I did a lot of research, spent a little more, and got a top-rated model. Several years later, it is still a great TV.

The only temptation is a larger model. But moving the couch a few inches closer to the TV creates the same effect.

When I lived in New York, I considered myself an expert in finding the pubs and bars with the cheapest drinks and best happy hours. Now that I am in Austin with a family living in times of high inflation, looking back at those tabs the next day can be a jolt to the system.

What we do instead: You know where the best alcohol deals are? The grocery store! Now, my wife and I grab some libations at the store, head to the backyard, and light the fire pit. If some friends or family want to join us, great. If not, it's their wallet's loss.

Not long ago, an ordinary family activity was going to a mall and looking around. What were we thinking?!

What we do instead: We have two teenagers, so we still need to go shopping and even to malls occasionally. But now it is with a specific purpose in mind, such as new clothes for school or holiday shopping. And yes, that still leads to occasional impulse purchases, but those trips are far fewer these days.

Sorry, kids!

Like window shopping at a mall, we used to shop for groceries without an exhaustive list. We might have a few things written down that we needed to remember, but the rest was done with what can be best described as "by feel."

The problem with this method is that many things are shoved into the back of a pantry or freezer, never to be seen again.

What we do instead: With food inflation still hitting hard, we are much more conscious of prices and big fans of couponing. We use several apps, such as Flipp and Ibotta, to find the best deals. Additionally, I always meal plan so I know exactly what we need when I get to the store and rarely go off script.

Before the pandemic, it was standard for my wife to buy lunch at work, or go out with me or some of her friends. Cutting back on those lunches has lifted an enormous burden off our bank accounts.

What we do instead: My wife's new hybrid role at work has made this much more manageable. So, instead of lunch dates, we make something at home and grab a seat outside if the weather is nice.

Some might view this new lifestyle as less fun. This is a concern, especially with kids, so we try to find more frugal ways to have fun, like staycations or the occasional trip to Jester King Brewery just outside of town — they have goats!

And even though we might eat out less, we appreciate those nights a little more now that it is no longer just a habit built on laziness.

We certainly don't like inflation; few people do. But one thing I love about it is how it is teaching our family to be more cost-conscious and deliberate with our money. These habits are helping us to spend less now and will carry over when the economy does recover, when it will help us save more.

If we are lucky, it will help our kids be more thoughtful about money when it is their turn in a few years.