MACCIES is loved for its cheap grub – but one McDonald’s worker has revealed four top secret ways of saving even more on your order.
A general manager at a branch in Hampshire – who wishes to remain anonymous – has revealed to The Sun all the little-known tricks you can use to knock money off your order.
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She went from flipping burgers as a crew member to managing a team of up to 40 people.
After three years working for the chain, she knows all about how to save money at the chain.
That’s why The Sun picked her brains for all the inside information on getting the best deals at the restaurant.
From comparing prices before your head to your local branch to supersizing your McPlant for just 60p, here’s her top money saving tips.
ALWAYS check prices
Choose your branches wisely – or you could end up paying more for the same meal.
The Sun previously revealed that menu prices can vary between restaurants that are just a couple of miles apart.
Our research found that you could save £57 a year by researching which is your cheapest local by comparing menus online.
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You could be paying up to 20p more for the same item just because of the store you head to, the McDonald’s manager said.
“I’ve noticed sometimes meals can go up by 20p more, and burgers can be 10p more expensive at some branches,” she said.
“I find that the price of milkshakes and fries stay the same though.”
This is because prices vary between stores – this is usually due to their location or whether they are run by McDonald’s or a franchise. A franchise owner has the power to set their own prices.
Supersize your McPlant
The McPlant was a hot new arrival to Maccies menu in September last year.
But fans of the burger might not know that you can supersize it for just 60p more by asking for an extra pattie.
It’s the only burger you can ask to get an extra pattie for, the manager said.
“You can’t do it for chicken sandwiches, and you can’t do it for a Big Mac either,” she said.
“If you ask for an extra pattie, we will put it through as an ‘ask me’ order for 60p – which is very cheap when you are essentially doubling your burger.”
Knock 20p off your Happy Meal
Happy Meals can be a great treat for the kids.
But if they’re not bothered about the toy that’s included in the deal, you can ask to get the meal without it.
Servers will knock 20p off your order, the Maccies manager said.
“A cheeseburger happy meal costs £3.09 at our branch. But if you ask for the Happy Meal without a toy, you can knock 20p off.
“Ask for the box, and we’ll just put the food inside – and that same meal will cost £2.89 instead.”
Avoid ordering meals and bulk up instead
We all have our favourite go-to meal.
Meal deals come with your choice of main snack – like a burger or chicken nuggets – along with fries and a drink.
But sometimes it makes more sense to bulk buy items individually and split them between the family.
A medium meal with six Chicken McNuggets costs £5.49. If you’ve got three mouths to feed, that comes out at £16.47.
But if you bought 20 Chicken McNuggets for £5.09 – which means each person gets six each with two left over – three medium fries at £1.29 each and a medium drink at £1.09 each, you’d be spending £12.23 in total.
That marks a saving of £4.24.
Mix your McFlurry for 20p
Deciding which flavour McFlurry to go for can be a tricky choice.
But there’s a trick you can use to mix your McFlurries for just 20p more.
“Go to the till, ask if you can get an extra topping, and most stores will do this,” the manager said.
“So if you ordered a Smarties McFlurry, you can add Malteaser’s to it too for just 20p.”
A mini McFlurry costs 99p – which means you could get a double flavour hit for £1.19.
It’s not the only McFlurry trick you can try out.One ex-McDonald’s worker said you can ask for off menu creations, like putting an apple pie into a McFlurry – an apple pie costs 99p.
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