As inflation squeezes budgets, middle-class Americans are taking fresh stock of their spending in search of ways to save a nickel or a dime. The result is that consumers are giving up a variety of small financial vices.

Although the idea that little costs add up is nothing new, it comes with added sticker shock as food and gasoline prices sprint along at a record pace. The result is that people are finally putting the brakes on vices once considered necessary - such as frappuccinos.

Milk, coffee, fresh fruit and bread were among the items that got more expensive by an average of 0.9 percent in April, the largest one-month increase since January 1990. Gasoline prices were up nearly 21 percent compared with a year ago.

Workers' wages, on the other hand, dropped for the seventh consecutive month.

The result is fewer latte runs. Literally.

Last month, Starbucks Corp. blamed rising food and gas prices when it reported a 28 percent drop in second-quarter earnings, and said sales at U.S. stores open at least a year had dropped - indicating some may finally be summoning their inner Scrooges. Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. also said last month that weak U.S. sales - especially on some 20-ounce beverages - will likely cause its earnings to drop.

Consider the jaw-dropping math behind the ''latte effect'' in today's economy.

A $1.50 bottle of soda for each weekday of the year, for example, would add up to $390. Now at $2 in some parts of the country, the habit comes with an annual price tag of $520. Over five years, that's $2,600.

This is the point where a financial planning guru might multiply the cost out for decades, demonstrating how a carbonated beverage is quietly robbing you of your retirement. Except now it's consumers crunching the numbers and agonizing over their wasteful ways.

''Unfortunately, pain is required for change,'' said Sheryl Garrett, a financial planner based in Shawnee, Kan. That means people aren't eating out as often or spending as much on clothing and vacations.

Cutting back doesn't have to mean a joyless existence, however. Simple measures like using cash instead of credit cards can make people more conscious of how much they spend, financial planners say. Taking a few hours to scan cell phone and cable bills for unnecessary charges can save, too. Shopping around for better deals when contracts run out is another good idea.

''Most people are not even conscious of how much they spend,'' said Laurie Hensley, who teaches a course on personal finance at Cornell University.

In some cases, the cost of all a person's habits can add up to more than basics like rent and transportation, she said.

That's not to say the little habits will determine your financial fate. Other factors - mortgages, bad interest rates, credit card debt - are likely the bigger drains on your budget. But when times are tight, it's a chance to review all spending, big and small.

Giving up pricey routines isn't stopping the Hovis family from enjoying life. To save money on gym memberships, they now take their two young daughters on family bike rides. There are no more trips to Chuck E. Cheese, but they have even more fun taking picnics at a nearby peach orchard.