Hi All. I’m new to vibe coding and am using ChatGPT to generate prompts for codex. Does anyone have good tips to minimize token usage? After 5.3 was taken away, I started using 5.4 and it uses so much more credit.
Use smaller/lower-reasoning models first. For lighter tasks like small edits, UI tweaks, comments, simple tests, basic refactors, or obvious bugs, use GPT-5.5 low or medium reasoning. Avoid high reasoning unless the task is genuinely complex, because it can burn a lot more tokens/credits. GPT-5.5 is also generally much more token-efficient than 5.4, so it is a better default for most day-to-day coding tasks.
Use ChatGPT for planning, Codex for execution. ChatGPT and Codex don’t share the exact same rate limits, so use ChatGPT to brainstorm, break down the feature, and refine the approach first. Then use Codex only when the task is ready to implement.
Send Codex clean, specific prompts. Don’t ask vague things like “fix this app.” Give it the goal, relevant files, constraints, expected behavior, and what not to touch.
Batch related changes together. Instead of asking Codex for five tiny follow-up edits, group related changes into one focused request. This reduces back-and-forth and saves credits.
Good tips above. I’d add one more thing: reduce how much context Codex has to carry.
Use an AGENTS.md file for repeated instructions instead of pasting the same coding rules every time. Codex reads these instruction files before working, so it’s better for repo conventions, style rules, test commands…Put logs, specs, and examples into small files in the workspace, then point Codex to the exact file instead of pasting huge blocks into chat.