McDonald's has accumulated a continuously growing number of fans throughout the years. They are the fast-food titan that seems to dominate the market. But have you ever noticed the peculiar varying meal prices in McDonald’s despite them containing pretty much the exact same menu? What’s that all about?

Well, one customer has taken to the internet to get to the bottom of things and it started a fantastic discussion in the comments section which includes the best money-saving hacks from customers and disclosures from ex-employees of the popular fast-food chain.

Happy Meal from Mcdonald’s. Image Credit: Mcdonalds.au​

“Does anyone know why a Maccas Happy Meal is cheaper than a small cheeseburger meal?? I mean the Happy Meal is exactly the same meal, but has the 'added bonus' of a toy.” The customer asked.

Currently, a single order of a McDonald’s Cheeseburger Happy Meal costs $4.95 and it comes with a bonus toy. But for some reason, a small cheeseburger meal is exactly the same meal with no toy and less packaging, priced at $6.95.

An ex-McDonald’s employee decided to join in and confirm that the odd price difference has indeed existed for years though they aren’t sure why either.

“I used to work at Maccas over a decade ago. It has always been cheaper to buy a happy meal.” they said. "No idea why, it just is. I save the toys for nieces or just leave them on tables for other kids."

Though some may not be aware of this trick, others said that they had noticed it for a while now and shared how they have been using the hack to their advantage.

“If you want a double cheeseburger meal, just ask for an extra cheese and extra patty on your happy meal burger.” a user recommended.

“Yep, I worked this out too! And you can make your drink a small coffee and it’s still the same price.” another added.

“I realised this years ago and it’s my favourite order. I also change the drink to a vanilla shake and it has no extra.” A third commented.

The great thing about this is it works on Chicken Mcnugget Happy Meals too! Another customer confirmed the difference by sharing an image of Mcdonald’s prices taken from their app. A six-piece Chicken McNugget Happy Meal costs $8.95 but a small six-piece Chicken McNugget meal is priced at $10.60!

Users joined in on sharing how they used the Happy Meal strategy to create bigger meals for less.

“I get two or three nugget happy meals and make one drink a thick shake (no extra cost). Then you have six nuggets, two small fries, a coke - plus a thick shake for dessert for $9.90.” one person wrote.

“If you want a frozen coke in your meal. It's cheaper to order your meal with a coke and also ask for frozen coke. You save an extra $2.” another suggested.

A third customer revealed that the uncanny price differences aren’t solely limited to Happy Meals. “I figured this ages ago, it also only costs an extra dollar to get the meal as opposed to getting the cheeseburger by itself.” she said.

Those residing in Queensland also shared that they get to save more every Tuesday whenever Mcdonald’s offers two-for-one deals on Happy Meals.

“Here we have 2-for-1 happy meals on Tuesdays. Also, for like $1.50 or something, you can upgrade your drink to the chocolate frappe… the drink is normally $5 on its own, so you are basically getting fries and a cheeseburger for $1.”

If you’re looking out for more tips on saving money for your next order at McDonald's, read a similar article by clicking here.

If you’d much rather watch, check out the video below on fast food menu hacks!

Credit: BabbleTop​

 

[Ricci]

I should really try some of these fast food places as I haven't eaten those for decades.

 

[KatKop]

I should really try some of these fast food places as I haven't eaten those for decades.

Rather not! I always like reading your comments and don't want to hear that you're suffering severe indigestion. Or worse!!

 

[Grumpypa]

It is part of the marketing strategy, to get the kids wanting Happy Meals so the parents will also purchase there too. It also gets them as a customer for life.

 

[Sparklinger]

I’ve noticed the same thing before. Grabbing a Happy Meal has been my go-to trick for a while, especially when you can swap the drink for something like a shake without paying extra. And yeah, it's the same deal with nuggets too – you can make a bigger meal out of multiple Happy Meals and save some cash.
If you’re into finding cool hacks like this or just curious about hacking in general, check out guidedhacking.com. It’s a solid place to learn more.

 

[patricciass]

To be honest, I don't really believe in those kinda hacks anymore. Well, once somebody told me that you can show your student ID card in McDonalds, and get a free meal (pretty basic, just a cheeseburger and fries, and a drink). But when I came there, it turns out the staff had no clue about this offer.

 

[unadonnamary]

I’m all for little hacks to make life easier, whether it’s ordering smart at McDonald’s or keeping up with the big leagues in Fortnite. Honestly, I was getting wrecked by those pro players who seem to live in the game. Found this site with some working Fortnite cheats, like Aimbot and ESP, and it was a game-changer. Suddenly, I wasn’t just surviving; I was racking up wins like never before. If anyone’s curious, just look up cobracheats working Fortnite cheats – it makes the grind way less painful.