Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
How to get the most for your money out of fast food
Grabbing fast food with a family can add up quicker than a counter employee asking if you want a fries with that. Luckily, I know a few tricks for how to get the most for your money out of fast food.
Pizza –
(1) Many places now charge a delivery fee, plus you’re still expected to tip the driver (and you should). Easily save $5 or more by running over and grabbing the order yourself.
(2) Use the “deal menu” and just add toppings and/or upsize the pizza. This trick can save $2 or more per pizza. Here’s an example: Dominos offers two-topping medium pizzas for $5.99 each (when you buy two). But maybe what you really need is two large specialty pizzas that have 5 toppings each. Simply order the two medium 2-toppings, pay to add 3 more toppings (about $4 extra on each pie), and upsize them to larges for $2 more each. Now you have your desired pizzas priced at $11.99 each, rather than ordering them as normal specialty pizzas for $15.99 apiece.
Custom burgers at value menu price –
Craving a specific burger like a McDonald’s famous Big Mac? You can get basically an identical burger, at a fraction of the cost, by ordering a burger from the value menu with Mac sauce added. You’ll pay a little extra to for the sauce, but save big. Common sauces like ranch and barbecue you can sometimes get for free by just asking for a side of sauce and putting it on yourself.
Breakfast menus –
(1) Beware the added cost of eggs. For example, the typical price point for a McDonald’s Sausage McMuffin (sausage and cheese on an English muffin) is $1.29-$1.49. But order a Sausage McMuffin with Egg and the price jumps to between $2.89-$3.49! Skip the egg, and save huge.
(2) Ordering off the breakfast all day menu is a great way to save at dinner. As mentioned above, the Sausage McMuffin is a good choice, because the sausage packs more of a flavor punch than plain beef, and the English muffin is heartier than a regular bun – making it the better bet than its dinner counterpart, the cheeseburger.
(3) Subway isn’t always on people’s breakfast radar, but by far their sandwiches are the most filling – perfect for feeding two people – because you add all the veggies you want. Plus, if your location offers breakfast any time of day, you can save over almost any sub since breakfast choices cost $1-$2 less for the same size.
Coffee and Drinks –
(1) Specialty coffee drinks come at a premium price, but you can get very close to the same flavor ordering regular coffee and paying to add a shot of flavor (typically 25-50 cents). Add free half and half to boost the efficiency of the flavor syrup.
(2) Want iced coffee? Ask for the ice in a separate cup. You’ll end up getting a lot more coffee, and the control over how watered down it gets. Even if you have to pay a little more for the extra cup, you’ll come out ahead.
(3) Order a large water. At most places, water is free, although not everywhere. Even if you do have to pay 25-40 cents, it is still less expensive than a $1.99 Coke. If you need flavor, some places offer free lemon or lime wedges or carry water flavoring packets with you like squeezable Mio or Crystal Light.
Salads –
Premium fast food salads are always pricey. Save by ordering a side salad (typically $1.50-$2) and a small nugget or just a grilled chicken breast (typically $1-2). By putting the chicken on separately, you can create a pretty good salad for $2.50-$4, instead of over $6. By the way, Wendy’s restaurants offer one of the most complete side salads available in the nationwide fast food world.
Sharing, Using coupons, and Insider opinions –
(1) Sharing meals is never overrated. Instead of ordering individual meals (especially kids’ meals), look at what you can get and divide up. One rule: Take a minute to do the math. Sometimes buying 2-3 of an item (like fries) off the value menu is actually cheaper than buying one large one, and you’ll actually get more – and sometimes the opposite is true.
(2) Don’t have coupons for the place you want to eat? Many fast food restaurants accept their competitors’ coupons for similar items. When in doubt, ask!
(3) If you really want the “in” on what the best value at a restaurant is, ask an employee. I simply say, “I’m really hungry! What do you think the best deal is?” Who knows better than the people who work there?
