The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Don't Waste Your Money may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website.
Grocery and fast food prices continue to soar nationwide, and people are looking for creative ways to feed their family on a budget.
One mom, Leiela Kapewa-Latu, took to TikTok to share an amazing “dinner box” deal she got while swinging through a McDonald’s drive-through in Texas. Her video has been viewed upward of 12 million times and counting, so clearly people are interested in saving a buck on family dinner.
The $12 dinner box that Kapewa-Latu shows in her video contains an impressive amount of food for that price. The following items come in the dinner box: two cheeseburgers, four small fries, 10-piece chicken nuggets and two Big Macs.
MORE: A nearly $18 Big Mac is creating a stir on social media
Wondering what the secret sauce is to scoring this meal? Kapewa-Latu says in her video, “It’s not on the menu, so you’re probably going to just have to ask.” That’s all she did before McDonald’s handed over the goods on her visit.
You can watch her ordering the meal and the unboxing of the meal contents in the video below.
@xolovelei $12 Dinner Boxes at McDonald’s is worth it!! #budgetfriendly #mcdonaldshacks #fyp ⬠original sound – xolovelei
Since this video has gone viral, McDonald’s has caught wind of it and told NBC Chicago in a statement that McDonald’s franchisees “set their own prices and have the flexibility to create promotions that will drive demand in their restaurants.” The company further explained in the statement, “These promotions may vary by restaurant.” They also advised diners to “download the McDonald’s app and sign up for MyMcDonald’s Rewards to access exclusive deals and check for shareable, bundled deals in their area.”
@xolovelei Replying to @Holaa_Mamie hope this helps! #budgetfriendly #mcdonaldshacks #fyp ⬠original sound – xolovelei
Kapewa-Latu took McDonald’s advice and downloaded the McDonald’s app, and in the video above she shows users that when she typed “dinner box” in the search bar on the app, “Mickey D’s dinner box” popped up. Otherwise, the deal was nowhere to be found. Some commenters noted that the deal didn’t pop up for them even when they typed “dinner box” in the search bar.
Thousands of comments have been posted on Kapewa-Latu’s video in which people compare prices of the same dinner box meal where they live.
MORE: Here’s what’s on the menu at CosMc’s, the new cafe from McDonald’s
Crystal K. said, “This dinner box is $22 here in Ohio, idk where it’s $12???” Two commenters from New Jersey said the “bundle box” in the Garden State costs $25. ABC News did the math, and that $25 price tag more closely aligns with the total of $26.71 they figured out the contents of the dinner box would cost if all items were charged separately.
It’s worth a try to see whether the dinner box is a bargain in your state. All you need to do is ask, and it would be worth it to save a buck on family dinner.
This story originally appeared on Don't Waste Your Money.
