Saving Money At Fast Food Restaurants

**savingandinvesting** · 07-02-2007, 12:03 AM

Fast Food Savings

It sounds obvious but it is easy to get this wrong and can even be very dificult to execute. My advice: Eat less - (of course you will also notice an improvement around the wasteline).

**LuckyRobin** · 07-02-2007, 01:03 AM

It's not really that hard to save money at these places.
McDonald's and Wendy's both have dollar menu or 99 Cent menu choices. You can get a burger, fries, and soda for $3 plus tax, or get a free water and add a $1 dessert choice. Arby's puts out a sheet of coupons once a month in the Sunday paper, and regularly runs one kind or another of 4 sandwiches for $5 specials. KFC always has some kind of special, one of ours has a chicken fried steak special every Wednesday. Taco Bell always has something on special, and I believe they still have a 99 cent taco. I'm sure DQ and BK have choices too.

These foods may not be a person's first choice, but they are all decent choices. Someone who's used to a larger sandwich can always get 2 sandwiches for $2.

**Confetti** · 07-02-2007, 01:43 AM

Skip the soda all together. They are marked up incredibly high and add a lot to the bill. Either have water or split a soda. You don't need the big bucket all for yourself anyway.

Sometimes I'll order the kids meal. It's enough to fill you up and it's much cheaper.

**savingandinvesting** · 07-02-2007, 02:24 AM

Fast Food Savings

It is hard to do a head-to-head compairson, but my impression is that Taco Bell always works out to be the cheapest when we go. In order to do a full analysis, I suppose you would have to also consider health issues and how filling the different meals are.

**boefixepa** · 07-02-2007, 07:59 AM

My best advice, don't eat there. It's hard to eat well over time at these places and it just isn't good for you. But if you are going to do it....get water not a drink. You don't need the sugar, carbination, calories and unpronouceable additives anyway. Second, get a kids meal. It has as adult serving sizes, believe it or not. Get the apples or fruit, instead of the fries, and keep the toys to give away to kids, they will love you. Another trick, this works better is sit down restaraunts, is ask for a to-go or take home box, with your meal. BEFORE you start to eat, split the meal in half and take it home. Not only do you get two meals for the price of one, you are probably getting closer to actual portion sizes you should be eating. Lastly tr to buy the LEAST processed food you can. For expample a chicken breast sandwich rather then chicken nuggets. Your health will thank you for it. Or better yet subway over McDonalds and the like. Get a foot long and eat half today and stick the other half in the fridge for lunch tomorrow, skip the chips and the drink.

I still say it's best to skip it all together, but that's just me.

**sweeps** · 07-06-2007, 09:23 AM

Drink water.

Order smaller than you think you may eat. You can always order something else if you're really still hungry.

Use coupons -- from mail inserts, the Entertainment book, online, etc.

Sometimes it's cheaper to go ala carte rather than go for package or value meals. For example, it might be cheaper for 2 people to buy 2 individual sandwiches and share a large fry instead of each person getting small fries with their sandwich.

(Also keep in mind that the less expensive the meal is, the less expensive the tax and the tip are.)

**Broken Arrow** · 07-06-2007, 11:19 AM

Since I've picked up the habit to go to eat lunch

I typically go to Wendy's.

Yeah, still not the healthiest place to go, but I am loving their dollar menu. I like their jr. cheeseburger for 0.99$ and the side salad for $1.09. And then I'll get water from the break room.

Again, it's not the healthiest way to go, but pretty darn affordable.

---

Let me also add that if you're crazy enough to track and camp out Chick-Fil-A's grand openings, you can get a year's worth of coupons from that store. If it's convenient enough to get to, that can be a great way to get freebie lunch.

Other fast food chains may offer similar promotions, but I only know about Chick-Fil-A doing this.

**Ima saver** · 07-06-2007, 11:38 AM

I eat off the dollar menu too and get water. I can get chicken nuggets and water for about a dollar. I like blimpies once in a while. I get the 6 inch turkey sub and water, but I only eat half of it. I save the rest for my next lunch.

**tabbycat31** · 07-06-2007, 05:35 PM

dollar menu

**PrincessPerky** · 07-09-2007, 06:33 AM

Ditto the don't go, but if you are going to go, buy the fruit or salad, at least as a side (BA happy to hear you are eating!)

Also drink water, or pack some of your own. If you get a kids meal and the drink is included get the milk or juice, closer to actual worth the money...not to mention healthier..water down the juice

.

If you are going to be out and need food go to a grocery store and buy some cheese and bread, or peanut butter and bread, plus your favorite fruit, or something, spend less get more food, and have some for tomorrow.

Saving Money At Fast Food Restaurants