Hey, I believe I can help you with this matter!
First of all, you need to know that ''instead of'' is often used either at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence. As for ''instead'' only, it's more commonly used at the end of a sentence (but it can also be used at the beginning in some cases).
So, here we have some examples:
1) ''Would you like some coffee?'' ''Oh, no, thanks. But I would really like a cup of tea instead.''
2) ''I won't ever waste my time watching movies on TV again. Instead of that, I will start reading fantasy books.''
3) ''She did not answer my question. Instead she just started talking to the other guy.''
4) ''I don't get it! Why can't you just go to school by bus instead of using your bycicle?''
5) ''When my mom gets angry with me, she doesn't shout out loud! Instead she just glares at me in silence!''
Hope I've been of some help to you!
And remember: if you should use either ''instead'' or ''instead of'' in a sentence, just choose the best position (for you to place the word) so as not to make a mistake!