When you say “value meal” what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
McDonald’s, right?
McDonald’s has long been associated with inexpensive fastfood, and people often associate their combo deals with good value.
But things have not been going well for McDonald’s lately. The prices of their meal or dinner menu items have become prohibitive for low-income households. As a way to lure back customers to their restaurants, McDonald’s is launching a value meal which will run for a month. They hope that this special offer will have a positive effect on their dwindling sales which they’ve been experiencing since the start of the year.
What’s in the $5 McDonald’s Value Meal?
The $5 value meal from McDonald’s will include either a McChicken or McDouble, 4-piece Chicken McNuggets, small fries and a drink. The promotion will launch on June 25 for one month.
Some say the $5 meal deal might not be enough to convince their old customers to come back. But it’s actually not a bad deal at all. At the McDonald’s restaurant near me, the prices of each item if you order them individually are as follows:
- McDouble $2.30 (a McChicken costs roughly the same)
- 4-Piece Chicken Nuggets $2.69
- Small Fries $1.99
- Small Drink $1.29
For a grand total of $8.27.
You’re still saving almost $4 with this value deal from McDonald’s.
Let the Fast Food Value Meal Wars Begin
People have been sharing shocking fast food prices on TikTok, X, and other platforms. Complaints have gone viral about paying $17 for two Filet-O-Fish sandwiches, $3 for a single hash brown, and over $24 for a cheeseburger meal at Five Guys.
Popeyes also faced backlash when several California residents reported prices exceeding $74 for a 20-piece chicken meal, with DoorDash prices close to $84 for the same order.
And so these fast food giants had to make some tough calls.
CNBC was the first to report that McDonald’s USA would be launching a $5 value meal for a limited time starting June 25. Burger King aimed to outdo McDonald’s by reintroducing its own $5 value meal. Bloomberg, which obtained a memo from Burger King, reported that their value meal would offer one of three sandwiches, along with fries, nuggets and a drink.
Also, towards the end of May, Wendy’s unveiled a $3 breakfast value meal, which included seasoned potatoes and a choice between a Bacon, Egg & Cheese English Muffin or a Sausage, Egg & Cheese English Muffin, as per a press release. This value meal was made available immediately.
Wendy’s likewise introduced a Sausage Breakfast Burrito at select locations. Inspired by the Bacon Breakfast Burrito launched earlier in the year, the new item consists of a sausage patty, eggs, seasoned potatoes, American cheese, and cheese sauce wrapped in a tortilla, with hot sauce packets available for those wanting extra flavor.
Even Buffalo Wild Wings and other casual dining chains like Denny’s, Applebee’s, and Chili’s have rolled out their own budget-friendly options.
Analyzing McDonald’s Value Meals
No doubt everyone’s anticipating the launch of the $5 Value Meal. But there are other value meals at McDonald’s that you can order right now, and they’re available all year too.
In essence, a value meal at Mickey D’s is basically a menu item such as a burger, plus regular fries and drinks. They are offered together at a lower price than if you would have ordered them separately.
For example, here at my local McDonald’s I can get a Big Mac Meal for $9.59. This meal includes a Big Mac, Medium Fries and a Medium Drink. If I ordered them separately, the prices would be:
- Big Mac $5.69
- Medium Fries $3.59
- Medium Coke $1.39
Total would be $10.67. By getting the value meal (also known as the McDonald’s Combo Meal), I save about $1.08.
Here is the McDonald’s Calorie Counter
There are other value meals available at McDonald’s such as:
- Sausage Egg McMuffin® Meal
- 2 Sausage Burrito Meal
- Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles® Meal
- Sausage Egg Cheese Bagel Meal
- 10 pc. Chicken McNuggets® Meal
- Double Quarter Pounder® with Cheese Deluxe Meal
- Quarter Pounder® with Cheese Meal
- McCrispy™ Meal
- And many more!
Final Thoughts on McDonald’s Value Meals
The golden era of value meals are long gone. You won’t find $2 Breakfast Meals or $3 Burger Meals these days. However, there are still good deals to be had at McDonald’s. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that this fast food chain will continue to offer great deals after their $5 Value Meal ends next month.