Lowering the cost of a kitchen remodel is a very difficult thing to do. A kitchen is one of the most used rooms in the house. I usually recommended replacing all high usage surfaces such as countertops & flooring.
With that being said, refacing cabinetry is a good place to start when lowering the cost of a kitchen remodel. There’s a lot to consider before doing so. Are the interiors of the cabinets still in good condition, are all the drawers in proper working condition, is the current configuration something that you can continue to live with and are any of the cabinets rotted out or broken, especially, the sink cabinet. If you can live with your current configuration and your cabinetry is a candidate for refacing , maybe you can add an island if your kitchen is large enough.
As with any remodeling project, there are a lot of variables to consider before continuing forward. Please take your time and consider all options because it will be something you might have to live with for quite some time.