Sep 28 2008
How Long Has This Been Going On?
OK, I’ll admit it. When I’m out on adventures with the kids, we sometimes (gasp!) eat at McDonald’s.
We have a pretty standard order, and it’s usually in the same ballpark price-wise. Today I was surprised at the price, and since my husband was along, I actually had time to look at the receipt in detail. I was shocked and disappointed when I went back to the counter to question the manager.
My order for the kids was this:
- 1 Hamburger Happy Meal, French Fries, Chocolate Milk, menu price $2.60.
- 2 Chicken Nuggets Happy Meal, French Fries, Chocolate Milk, menu price $3.20.
- 1 Chicken Nuggets Happy Meal, Apples, Chocolate Milk, menu price $3.20.
But on the receipt it looked like this.
- 1 4NUG/AD HPY ML TOY $2.30
- 1 HAMB/FRY HPY ML TOY $1.70
- 2 4NUG/FRY HPY ML TOY $4.60
- 4 CHOCOLATE MILK $5.80
These receipts have never been the easiest to decipher, which is probably why I didn’t figure this out sooner.
The “$5.80″ is what caught my eye, so I broke it down, and found that I was paying $1.45 per milk above the Happy Meal price on the receipt. This brought the Hamburger Happy Meal to $3.15 and the Chicken Nuggets to $3.75. Each Happy Meal was $.55 more than the price in the menu.
I went to the counter and asked the manager about it. I was directed to the “prices may vary” asterisk by the Happy Meal options and informed that the milk costs more than the pop does, so the Happy Meal with milk does as well. (The asterisk was next to the french fry/apple dippers choice as well, but they cost the same, at least at this particular restaurant.)
I’ve been ordering milk with Happy Meals as long as I’ve had kids eating solid foods, which is about 7 years now, and this is the first time I’ve noticed that the milk cost more. When my oldest was a toddler, the Happy Meals only cost $.10 more than the All-American meal (hamburger, small fries, tiny drink) so I would splurge and spend the dime to get him the little toy. As my life got more hectic, I didn’t pay as much attention to the prices because I was just trying to get everyone fed and out of the restaurant in a well-behaved manner. How long has this been going on?
What’s your experience with kids’ meals? Do the healthier options cost more at other restaurants (fast-food or sit-down) as well? I’m feeling really foolish right now and would love any insight you might have.
And, yes, next time I go in to McDonald’s, I’ll be pricing out the following: 1 hamburger, 3 4-pc. Chicken Nuggets, 1 medium or large fries, and 4 waters, to see how much these Happy Meals have really been costing me.
I think the healthier options always cost more at other restaurants too and I don’t think it just applies to the kids’ meal choices. With that said, I think McDonald’s could be more transparent about it and say that yes, indeed, the healthier choices cost more. Then at least people would be comfortable with the idea (relatively speaking) rather than feeling duped after the fact.
Don’t feel foolish – the thing that matters most is that you are making healthier choices for your kiddos and there’s nothing foolish about that.
That is crazy. I have never noticed it either and I always have 3 different milks each time we go. I am going to watch next time more closely!
I admit that we never get the apple dippers or juice when the kids get Happy Meals, LOL.
But Tim and I have started getting items “a la carte” sometimes instead of getting Happy Meals and value meals. So, if your pricing is the same as in area, it would be $1 each for the burger and 4 pc nuggets, then about $1.50 for a medium order of fries.
So $5.50 to feed all your kids if they drink water.
I just decided this week to stop getting the Happy Meals. It is less expensive and I think they eat less when I buy the items separately. Plus, I just threw out a bunch of stupid toys that they were not even playing with!
And, have you noticed the restaraunts have different prices? I went to one McDonalds on the south end of town and another on the north end of town, bought the same meals and had two different totals. Also, right now they have $1 sodas. You can upgrade the kids meal soda to the $1 soda and it’s not that much more. I did that and shared a sweet tea with my daughter!
Our favorite fast food place is Chick-fil-A and we have to pay more there to get milk and the fruit cup. On Tues. nights the kids’ meals are free with the purchase of a combo but we still have to pay the extra fee to get the fruit cup. Now that I have to eating kids’ meals we are thinking more about the rising prices!
We don’t get charged more for the milk here (Kansas). Didn’t get charged extra in Indiana, or any other McDonald’s between here and there.
Wow, I’ve never really looked. We don’t do McD’s often b/c I HATE McD’s (except at bkfst), but we do Wendy’s a bit too often.
We always get the mandarin oranges and milk. I’ll have to check my receipt out next time.
To courtneyluv75 – Yes, the prices DEFINITELY vary around town. A steak bagel (bkfst) at our nearest McD’s is $3.49, but it’s $2.99 at the other 3 McD’s within 5 or so miles of us! (And how sad is it that we have at least 4 McD’s within 5 miles of us? If only there were so many healthy options!)
~ Michelle (MotherNatureMI on twitter)
Oh, there’s lots of sneakiness. Don’t forget, you’re charged an eat-in tax, too!
What irritates me most is that If I wanted to get a chicken sandwich, a SMALL fry, and a SMALL soda, it would cost me MORE than if I just got the extra value meal. I’ve repeatedly asked McDonalds to give me the value meal price and just give me less food (I don’t want the tempation!) but they refuse to. It’s ridiculous!
Wow, this really hit a nerve!
Andrea, you’re right about some of the a la carte prices. The 10 pc McNuggets were $4 on the menu today. Value menu had 4pc for $1. Even I figured out the math on that one!
I think it has gotten sneakier in the past several years as well. For quite a while, when you bought a value meal, you were basically paying for the sandwich and fries and getting the drink free. Not so any more.
Jessica, I agree that I’d rather see it up front and make an informed decision. At Subway, the kids’ meals are a decent value, and they don’t charge you more for the apples in the meal even though the cost more than the raisins a la carte. At Subway, the milks are HUGE, and even with the $5 footlongs it comes out pretty close to the kids’ meal prices as opposed to a la carte. At least last time I checked…
Texasholly, check it out next time you’re at McD’s and post back here, if you don’t mind. I’m wondering how regional this is.
courtneyluv75, there’s definitely a difference between restaurants. Hibbing’s Happy Meals were about $.50 cheaper than Hinckley’s this weekend. (Yes, we were at 2 McD’s in four days. Such is life sometimes.)
Sandra, interesting about the Chik Fil A upgrade fee even on free nights!
Michelle, let us know about Wendy’s if you have time to “research” it. Our closest Wendy’s (35 miles, if you call that close) closed last year.
Christina, I’d never noticed the eat-in tax before. Is it tax free for to-go or drive-through? In Ohio, there’s some trick with getting a drink or ordering water that affects the tax, or so I’ve been told.
What surprises me the most is that our total today for the six of us was $23.75. Four Happy Meals, one Big Mac combo, one Big Mac. If we eat at Famous Dave’s, which we love, before 5 p.m., we all get more than enough food, with free drink refills including milk (at most locations, some charge for the refill) for just a few dollars more than that, including tip. Fast food certainly doesn’t mean cheap food any more.
Gone are the days of the $.59 hamburgers and the reusable cup with $.25 refills that I used for three years of college (in the 90′s, not really that long ago).
Any more thoughts? Keep ‘em coming!
You’re right that fast food is no longer cheap food. My kids are college age now (5 boys) it is SO expensive to take them to McDonalds when we do road trips. I don’t like McDonald’s food anyway. I think I got burned out on it either when I worked there in high school, or went a bazillion times when the kids were little.
The thing that is really irritating though is that they aren’t upfront with their pricing! I don’t like to think that hard to place an order!
Linda: that is our exact McD order, and I never noticed the price-gouging either.
What a farce! We need a mainstream media expose.
I have always done ala carte – don’t need the fries and they aren’t healthy. So my son gets a sandwich and milk – much healthier that way and generally much less costly. Love your site!
Wow, that’s expensive. No wonder we only eat there once every 6 months or so!
What! False advertising!! I am going to have to pay more attention! So I guess that is why McDonald’s has gone to trying to be healthier..it is so they can charge more! Thanks for the heads up on this! I already get mad when they charge for the bag when you are doing take out! What I want is for them to give me money back when my large fry is so slack it is really a medium!! Okay, off my soapbox!
I hate the price to value *deals* at McD’s. I have very specific reasons FOR going. If we are not in the following three situations, I do not go to the Golden Arches.
1) We are traveling and need to pee AND eat. Otherwise, I pull out our cooler from the back that is pre-packed with sliced turkey, whole grain bread, cheese sticks, yogurts, peanut butter, jelly, water, and ice.
2) If Mama is going postal and needs to put the headphones in and read while the kids play on the giant treehouse at the McDonald’s down the street.
3) If there is one last toy needed to complete a set and the series is about to end. Case in point, the current Wizard of Oz. We still need Glenda and The Wicked Witch. I’d rather pay for these. Anyone got ‘em?
If we do go to McD, we switch to apples and milk to go with our chicken-ish nuggets or cardboard and cheese on a bun. For me, I get one of those bbq chicken snackers and diet Coke. The rest of the menu is BAD for the WW Points.
I noticed this at Burger King on a day when they ran out of toys that went with the meal. My daughter was furious and wanted to demand we get our money back for the toy. She couldn’t care about the toy – she was just ticked at being charged for one and not getting it. You go girl!
Yep, I knew about this and I’m glad you posted it so other parents will know! We don’t eat there a lot but honestly if your kids like chicken nuggets just get the 10 piece meal and have them share. The higher cost is also in the silly toy that you end up throwing away in a couple of days.
It’s more expensive to buy milk everywhere! Oh and get this, there are lots of places where milk isn’t on the menu. My children don’t drink any kind of coke. We just never introduced it to them so when they can’t have milk they just opt for water. Great post!
It’s not just McDonalds either. I found the same thing happening at Burger king too!
can’t help you. One of the blessings AND curses of having the pickiest eaters in the universe is that aside from most healthy foods, they also hate most junk foods. McDonald’s is a nonstarter in my house. They won’t eat McNuggets OR hamburgers.
I’ve started buying one Happy Meal w/an extra fry to split betw the Vikings. Less goes to waste. Or, I get the “grown up” two hamburger meal and an extra milk – then no toy to divide! LOL
Great post, Linda! Definitely hit a nerve with the moms!
We don’t buy Happy Meals – or any other kid meal – at the fast food places we visit. My kids don’t particularly like Hamburgers. They actually like the fish sandwiches. I’ve taken to making sure their waters are filled and just ordering the sandwiches and fries a la carte. If I get a couple of sandwiches and a couple of large fries, I can feed all four for the price of less than two Value Meals.
They are aware of the concept of children’s meals and toys, but they know they will not get them. They are happier with (to them) yummier food. Full stomachs beat a nasty toy.
We have an extra drive-through tax here on top of the regular sales tax. I’m not sure we have an eat-in tax. I think that depends on your local government.
Great new site, BTW!
That’s why I like chik-fil-a. They tell you how much extra you pay if you want to sub fruit for fries right on the menu board. I don’t understand why these places have to be shady. If I want a healthier option, I’d order it regardless of price, but it’d still be helpful to know what that price would be.
Okay…so not fair on the healthy options but that is true for everything healthy these days! I have been trying to go organic and it is KILLING my grocery budget! Why does good for you have to = expensive??? Thanks for this!
They actually charge more for the soda, too. They used to include the soda in the value meal price, but if you look closely, they’ve been charging for the drink separately. It’s not something they’ve exposed and it seems barely anyone notices.
But it’s happening and so, what you noticed is real.
I just went to McD’s over the weekend and requested chocolate milk with both of my kids’ happy meals. I noticed a $2.00 charge for chocolate milk on my receipt in addition to the $3.60 charge per 4 piece McNugget Happy Meal. When I questioned this, I was told chocolate milk costs an extra $1.00. I did not see this disclosed prominently on the sign if at all. In fact chocolate milk was listed as part of the drink choices for the Happy Meal. I was in the drive thru, so I didn’t go back and analyze the drive thru board to see if there was an asterick or something else to indicate it costs more. But, I can tell you I have never been charged extra for chocolate milk at any restaurant or fast food rest.
The bottom line is it cost me $10.00 for 2 happy meals which is beyond ridiculous, considering I could have gotten (2) 4 piece McNuggets and 2 apple dippers for a total of $4.00 if I ordered them from the dollar menu. I can’t believe what a rip off or scam this is. Is their a shortage of chocolate I don’t know about?? I went to the McDonalds website and sent in a complaint. Don’t know if it will do any good, but I wanted to let them know that paying $5.00 per Happy Meal is not an affordable meal, and that I will probably be going to the local Burger King if my kids want a chocolate milk with their meal. They do not charge extra. Also, they need to tell these franchise owners that they need to dislose the extra cost prominently if they charge extra for something that is part of a meal.
Sue, that’s a crazy price for a Happy Meal!
It varies from restaurant to restaurant as well. This weekend we were on the road and at one McDonald’s, chocolate milk was a penny cheaper than a kids’ soda or apple juice. In general, I’ve found that if the price of milk is higher than juice/pop on the menu board, you’ll be charged extra for the milk.
I wonder if Burger King, Wendy’s, or other fast-food chains do this same thing.
Linda
Just had a similar story. I bought a hamburger kids meal and a 6 piece nugget kids meal from Burger King and instead of soda, we opted for the juice box. The price for the hamburger meal was $3.60 and nugget meal was $4.89 (Which I think is ridiculous enough) Low and behold, on the receipt it lists the price for the meals and then an extra $1.49 for each juice box. The manager pointed to some fine print that stated additional charges may apply and then blamed it on the economy. I won’t be buying anymore…thats for sure!