Cheapism / Mr. Blue MauMau (CC) / Taco Bell
Life is hectic. Families are busy, so hitting the drive-thru in the morning before work or after school is a convenient time saver. Fast-food chains can bust your budget if you're not careful, but you can plan ahead to take advantage of deals and promotions. Before you pile in the car or call your favorite pizza place, check out these money saving menu items (including some ways to get free fast food).
Prices and availability are subject to change.
The Big Box deal is gone at Popeyes, but you can still get a good price on some fried chicken. For $5, you can get three pieces of dark meat in either classic or spicy versions. Don't forget to check the Offers section of the website, too, where you can score lots of other great deals like a $8 three-piece tenders combo or the ever-popular $12 Two Can Dine meal with five pieces of chicken or six tenders plus two sides and biscuits.
Wendy's has all kinds of freebies and coupons in the Offers section of its mobile app this month, including free fries of any size with a purchase. There are also offers for $4 spicy or classic chicken sandwiches, $2 off a premium combo or salad, and a free kids meal with a premium combo purchase. Plus, through Dec. 22, you can score buy-one-get-one-free deals on a different menu item every day.
Taco Bell's $5 Cravings Box is gone once again, but there's still the $6 option of building your own. Choose a specialty like a Crunchwrap, plus a taco or Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, a side, and a drink.
If it's just an item or two you're after, check out the new Cravings Value Menu with lots of under-$3 options like beef nachos, Double Stacked Tacos, and a 3-Cheese Flatbread Melt.
McDonald's has brought back its best deal for 2024: Free Fries Friday. Snag a free medium fries every Friday with a minimum $1 purchase through the app. Plus, check the Deals section of the mobile app for offers like $1 10-piece McNuggets, BOGO for 50 cents breakfast sandwiches, $1.29 any size fries, and a $6 Big Mac combo.
Burger King is continuing its free fries promotion in 2024. You can get one free any size fry each week with purchase when you use the mobile app. And don't forget to check the offers page on the restaurant's website, which has rotating deals like a $4 breakfast biscuit and hash browns meal, $9 Impossible Whopper meal, and a $5 double cheeseburger and small fries meal.
The best deal at KFC right now is the $5 Taste of KFC 2-piece deal. You get a drumstick and a thigh, mashed potatoes, and a biscuit. For $10, you can double that for a meal for two people.
Little Caesars does cheap pizza well, but the prices have recently increased — the second time since the pandemic started. The cheapest option will now run you $6 instead of $5. We still recommend paying a dollar more to get Extra Most Bestest pies for more cheese and more pepperoni, making the chain noticeably better than cheaper pizza chains. The upgrade is worth the extra change.
If stuffed crust is your priority, you can get a large pepperoni or cheese stuffed crust pizza for $9.49 right now as well.
Family meals at Panda Express are a crowd pleaser. For $35, order your choice of three large entrees and two large sides that will feed a small family. Who doesn't like orange chicken and fried rice?
The days of $5 footlongs are long over, but you can still get a good deal on them at Subway. You can score 20% off any 6-inch or footlong sub by ordering online and using the code "TWENTYOFF" at checkout.
For once, Pizza Hut's deals recently got better. The new $7 Deal Lover's Menu is the same mix-and-match-at-least-two-items deal that other pizza chains offer. Options include medium one-topping pizzas, Melts, boneless wings, cheese sticks, breadsticks, pastas, and desserts. There's also the holiday season Triple Treat Box with two medium pizzas, breadsticks, and dessert for $20, and the Big Dinner Box for $30 featuring two medium one-topping pizzas, five breadsticks, and either pasta, bone-in wings, or boneless wings.
You can feed three or four people (or just two really hungry ones) at Wingstop right now for $17. The Boneless Meal Deal comes with 20 boneless wings tossed in up to four sauce or rub flavors, plus a large fries and two dips. Plus, you can get boneless wings for 70 cents each on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Trying to decide which flavors to order? We ranked the best Wingstop flavors to help you make the call.
Your best bet for cheap pizza at Domino's is the long-running $7 Mix 'n Match deal. Just order two or more items and they're all $7 each, including two-topping medium pizzas, bread, chicken, sandwiches, pastas, salads, and desserts. For $8, you can get large one-topping pizzas for carryout.
The best Arby's deal in years (decades?) has ended, but another has appeared. The 2 for $6 Everyday Value Menu is currently available, and you can mix and match from Classic Roast Beef, Crispy Chicken Sandwich, and mac and cheese bites right now.
Like Domino's and Pizza Hut, Papa Johns has a buy-two-or-more deal. Items are $7 each as long as you buy at least two, and there are a lot of options, such as a medium one-topping pizza, Papadias, 10-piece Chicken Poppers, cheese sticks, garlic knots, and three desserts. That's a lot of variety to satisfy everyone.
Most people know about Sonic's happy hour, but you can actually get similar deals all the time. All you have to do is order online or in the app to get half price slushes and drinks. Plus, right now you can get $2 queso wraps and soft pretzel twists.
The best deal at Del Taco is the long-running Taco Nights promotion. On Tuesdays from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., you can get three snack tacos for $1.99, and on Thursdays from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., you can get three grilled chicken tacos for $3.19. Sure, the prices have gone up recently thanks to inflation, but it's still a heck of a deal.
A classic cheeseburger combo is the best deal right now at DQ. For $7, you'll get a bacon cheeseburger, regular-size fries, a 21-ounce drink, and a small sundae. You can also grab the three-piece chicken strip meal deal for $7, or get a cheeseburger without bacon. There's also a mix and match two for $5 deal with options like a small sundae or chili dog.
Everyone knows that dark meat is the juiciest, so why not save a little money and skip the white meat altogether? For $24, you'll get 10 fried chicken legs and thighs, plus two large sides, five biscuits, and five of the chain's signature jalapenos. If you're looking for more, head to the Coupons section of Church's website to find the best deals. Right now, you can use coupon codes when you order online to get a $10 meal for two.
Panera has a current special on a classic soup and sandwich combo. You can get a cup of creamy tomato soup with croutons, half a tuna salad sandwich, and a side of French baguette, apple, or chips for just $7. You can also get six other value duets with various Panera soups, salads, and sandwiches for the same price.
Breakfast — or any meal, since they serve biscuit sandwiches all day! — just got cheaper at Bojangles. The chain rotates through two-for deals, and right now you can grab two biscuit sandwiches with fried steak for just
Hardee's has a great meal deal right now. The $6 Original Bag comes with a small fries and drink, plus you get to choose two entrees: hot ham and cheese sandwiches, double cheeseburgers, or chicken tender wraps. You can also get two for $5 select breakfast items right now as well.
There's a bunch of great two-for deals at Jack in the Box this month. They include two Breakfast Jacks for $3, two sausage or bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits for $5, two sausage, egg, and cheese croissants for $5, two junior chicken sandwiches for $3, and two Jumbo Jack burgers for $5. Plus, you can always get two tacos for $1.
There's an affordable $5 combo meal at Taco John's right now. It includes a crispy beef taco, bean burrito, junior Potato Olés, and a small drink. For $2 more, you can get an upgraded meal with two crispy beef tacos, nacho crunch beef burrito, small Potato Olés, and a small drink.
There are seven dishes on the Noodles & Co. menu that are just $7 each for the small size, including spaghetti with marinara, Japanese Pan Noodles, pesto cavatappi, and the Med Salad.
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