The Great 'Clever ordering techniques... eg, "double cheeseburger with Big Mac ' Hunt

A question about : The Great 'Clever ordering techniques... eg, "double cheeseburger with Big Mac ' Hunt

Great 'Clever ordering techniques... eg, double cheeseburger with Big Mac sauce, please' Hunt

Forumite aquamac has an ingenious way to cut the cost of a Big Mac by Ј1.10-Ј1.40 - by asking for a double cheeseburger with Big Mac sauce (see original thread). We want to tap MoneySavers' collective knowledge on other fast food and other restaurants you can do this at to cut costs.

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Best answers:

• I always order a 'short' filter coffee in Starbucks and get a free refill it costs about 1.30 and you get 2 coffees in piece and quiet and can spend the money saved on a naughty nibble!
• I lucked out ordering an off-menu brunch in Cote last Sunday.
  I wanted a full English style meal, but I don't eat pork, so I asked for a full English with salmon instead of the bacon and sausages.
  A full english is Ј7.50 and salmon and scrambled egg is Ј6.80, so not money saving by any means, but you're paying for the ambience and the service.
  The guy suggested ordering toast, and getting everything else I wanted as extras. I agreed, thinking it would end up at something stupid like a tenner, but went along with it anyway because it's what I wanted.
  The cost came in like this:
  Toast and jam Ј1.50
  Extra salmon Ј2.00
  Extra tomatoes 50p
  Extra tomatoes 50p
  Extra mushrooms 60p
  Extra mushrooms 60p
  Extra egg 75p
  Total was Ј6.45, cheaper than if they'd just agreed to the substitution I suggested in the first place. The portions were generous and it was absolutely delicious.
  So don't be afraid to order off-menu at Cote, if you only want egg on toast for example. You won't get stung!
• I always order 2 day photo prints instead of the 1 hour service (which costs about 25% more) at ASDA and I finish my shopping and come back and collect it in an hour or so.
  I've never had any problems so far. It also helps if the person at the photo counter has changed in the meantime.
• When ordering a takeaway (Chinese or Indian) I make my own rice in the time it takes to deliver. Usually saves about Ј4 for 2 people.
• In pret a manger I order a filter coffee it's only 99p and doesn't taste all that different from a stronger / more expensive coffee.
• When my partner and I go to Burger King, we order his food as one of the value meals but 'super'size it so the fries and drink are the large size. Then I just order a burger on its own and we share his fries and drink.
  Making a meal a super size only costs and extra 50p but it would add a few pounds onto the total if we just got a burger, fries and drink each.
• At Burger King in Portsmouth (it maybe available elsewhere), you get a cold drink with your meal, but it is self-service and you can refill as often as you wish and mix the drinks !
• Instead of getting a chai latte at Starbucks, I get a large chai tea, then put in skimmed milk and sweetener - less calories and about half the price
  Cheers from Mrs. BBWD
• Half a pint of beer or lager and half a pint of lemonade in a pub are usually cheaper than a pint of shandy. Some bar staff need to be persuaded to loan a pint glass though !!
• In a reversal of the Chinese takeaway idea posted (making the rice while you wait for the mains to be delivered), sometimes only fish n chip shop chips will do... I like a steak and kidney pie and chips but buy a pie in the supermarket earlier in the week (freeze in advance if you don't fancy chips that week), pop it in the oven before I leave for the chip shop, take a leisurely walk down the road and by the time I get there, get served and get back, it's ready!! YUM!
• Hiya,
  i sometimes do make my own rice when i order an indian - if you don't want it always boiled, just fry it in a bit of oil for a few minutes first and then add water - it'll be just as nice as the takeaway one - and you could always go one step further and add some frozen peas
  another thing to do is buy naan/pitta breads from your local supermarket and then when your takeaway arrives, microwave them or pop them in the toast for a few seconds and then spread butter on them - lovely butter naan at less than half the price of the takeway ones!
• Not a new one but take your own drinks and snacks when you go to see a film.
• If you use Starbucks and have their card, a few savings tricks:
  Always order and pay every item separately e.g. Coffee for you and tea for your partner, two separate transactions. This helps you keep the number of transactions up to reach or maintain gold status, when you get freebies (whipped cream, extra espresso shot, soya milk, syrups).
  Once at gold you can make a lot of fancier drinks for the price of a single espresso (Ј1.45):
  Americano: ask for a very long double espresso in a larger cup, you can even ask for extra hot water to top it up. All an Americano is, is a double espresso with a lot of water!
  Cafe creme: double espresso as above, ask for a side serving of pouring cream. Even fancier, ask for whipped cream. Always ask for it on the side because you get more than just a shot in the cup!
  Iced coffee: ask for double espresso, separately ask for a tall cup full of ice cubes. Sweeten the espresso first (if you take sugar/ sweetener) then pour on ice cubes. Ask for a glass of tap water on the side if you want to make your iced coffee even longer. Top with cold milk or cream or whipped cream, or drink black for a very refreshing drink.
  Fancy "cappuccino style" coffee: starting from your basic (long) double espresso, ask for syrup in the drink, topped with whipped cream, swirled with caramel. Sprinkle it liberally with the free cocoa/vanilla/cinnamon.
  Latte: ask for your long double in a tall cup instead of a small one, top liberally with their warm milk that they keep in the jug. Or ask for a side serving of warm/hot milk and top your coffee to taste.
  For the health freaks among us (me included!): Decaf Soya Latte: ask for decaffeinated double espresso and warm or cold soya milk on the side. If you like your latte very milky you can always ask for a second helping of milk or soya milk!
  Macchiato: usual espresso then ask for hot foaming milk as a side, pour a splash in your coffee, to taste.
  The variations are almost infinite!
  Money saving disclaimer: it is a LOT cheaper to make your drinks at home, rather than give Starbucks all the custom required to reach Gold (you need 50 transactions to reach Gold). However, if you have an unbreakable coffee addiction or have factored your Starbucks expense as an allowable treat, then you might as well make the most of it.
• We order 20 nuggets and separatefries and drinks for the kids and I at mcds instead of separate meals. Can also save by ordering one less fries. We just split it using the box and a bag.
• Great ideas, already doing some of them such as the rice, but the others are fantastic, shame Starbucks coffee is so horrible though
• I like iced coffee, but I don't like milky drinks like iced lattes. So I order an iced Americano with room for milk, and just add a splash of milk. It's just as refreshing as an iced latte but much lower calorie and it's cheaper too!