EVERYONE has a fast food guilty pleasure, but with prices rising it can be hard to justify the treat.
But you don’t have to spend full price if you know some simple tricks and hacks to bring the price down – and in the name of journalism, we’ve put the biggest chains to the test.
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I headed out to get as much food as I can for as close to £20 using a series of tips from Britain’s Coupon Kid Jordon Cox.
In the end, I came back with four burgers amounting to six patties, 40 nuggets and a range of dips. And one restaurant was a clear winner for bargains.
First things first, I needed to download the apps for the major fast food chains to see what offers they had on them.
The three major outlets – KFC, Burger King and McDonald’s – each have an app with an offers section in it, which you have to create an account to access.
Burger King: Appy days for deals
Burger King was the first one I installed on my phone and excitingly, it has an extensive range of offers – including their vegan and vegetarian options.
Each of their cut-price bargains can only be used once per transaction – so to make the most of it you can do several separate orders, paid for separately, and get multiple discounts.
Looking to get the most for my money, I opted for 20 chicken nuggets at £3.99, a £1 single stacker and a £3 Bacon Double Cheese XL from their Appy Hour (buy between 2pm and 5pm).
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Normally 20 chicken nuggets would set me back £5.49, a Bacon Double Cheese XL £4.49, and the single stacker isn’t on their normal menu.
I did three separate orders, borrowing two codes from friends who aren’t fans of Burger King… allowing me to get the most buns for my bucks.
McDonald’s: Show me the receipts
Next on my fast food pilgrimage: a trip to the golden arches of McDonald’s.
Surprisingly, the chain doesn’t have a huge number of deals on their app – in fact the only one is a free coffee.
So, I scoured the menu for the best value options.
In the end, I picked the new Chicken Big Mac for £4.99, a McPlant burger for £3.99, and 20 chicken nuggets for £4.99.
On the plus side, my purchases from today will give me a great discount for the next time I head to Maccies, as the code on top of the receipt allows me to fill in their customer service survey.
The unique code on your receipt registers each person as a separate response and as a reward you get a £1.99 Big Mac and fries meal.
And it’s more than just a one-off. You can use the receipt from your discounted meal again for another survey and so on.
KFC: Stamp it out
At KFC, the headline deal is the 20 Hot Wings for £5.99. Unfortunately, it’s such a great money saver that it’s sold out by the time I visit.
Unlike its big competitors, the chain doesn’t have an extensive list of readily available offers.
Instead they have a stamp system – you get one every time you spend over £3.
The first stamp gets you a free side, the second a free snack and the third gives you £5 off.
Thanks to my choices, I ended up with a Double Bacon XL, a single stacker and 20 nuggets from Burger King and a McPlant, a Chicken Big Mac and 20 chicken nuggets from McDonald’s.
In total the items set me back £21.96, which is a saving of £5.48 overall. Appy days!
Another way to save cash is using the app GoodToGo, which is differently priced “magic bags” from many different restaurants, cafes and chain eateries.
Each bag has a different selection of things, from bread to sandwiches and drinks.
How to make your own McDonald’s guide
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