Construction and skilled trades run on fast food. Outside of the odd duck gym rat that packs their lunch everyday, we eat fast food just about everyday. For many years, the appeal of McDonald's was that it was cheap. It's not great, but it does the job, it's cheap, and they're everywhere. But the past couple years, the cost of McDonald's has made it not worth the money anymore. The crew usually drives past McDonald's on the way to a different option. We will eat McD's if there aren't any other convenient options, but the value isn't there anymore. We've all felt the cost of inflation, but how did the dollar menu become the three dollar menu in just a couple years? I can't make sense of it. I still prefer their sodas and tea, and their breakfast is good , but it's too easy to get a better sandwich for the same price. I can get a better burger at a local independent restaurant for less than I'd spend at McDonald's. Something's gotta give. They've got to provide more value than they are now.
For most of my life, McDonalds was the default choice when I wanted a quick meal at a really low price. That was the main appeal + the fact that wherever you get it, the menu is the same and the food tastes the same. Nowadays, McDonalds is no longer cheap enough where it could be just a quick and cheap meal on the go, when you don't want to fork out $100 for a bill in a restaurant. There are so many cheap(ish) options nowadays, including local places with more variety. You pay the same and support a local business. The price is one of the main appeals of McDonalds and if things keep going in this direction, the only loyal customers will be the ones who go there because of nostalgia.
Growth Director at Occam's Raisor
Answered 2 months ago
I'm on the southern edge of the Midwest, and I'm here to tell you that blue collar people are skipping McDonald's in favor of fast casual or better fast food options like Culver's or Chik Fil A. No one can eat a fast food lunch for less than $10 now. A few years ago, you could feed 4 people on that much. Most fast casual restaurants cost about the same, and the quality of food is much higher. Would you rather eat a frozen McDonald's burger, or a burrito at Chipotle for the same money? Its a no brainer. In my personal experience, I started prioritizing my health around the time that McDonald's and the rest of fast food became expensive. I meal plan and eat the same boring things everyday. My health and my wallet both appreciate it. Plus it frees up the bandwidth I'd have used deciding what to eat for more important things, like writing. If I'm traveling and McDonald's is the only option, I'll get a quarter pounder with no bun, but other than that rare occasion, the only thing I have bought from from them for the past several years is unsweetened tea. McDonald's, Burger King, and other less popular fast food options are going to have to change their menus and offer healthier, better quality options since everyone's tastes have changed. Changing the quarter pounder to fresh beef helped. Modifying their menus and supply chain is going to be a massive undertaking.
Running a business in Dallas, I've had to give up my post-property-showing McDonald's runs. The prices just don't make sense anymore. It was my go-to for a quick, cheap meal, but now I'll pass. For those of us watching our budget, the idea of affordable fast food feels like a thing of the past. I've found I save more by just meal prepping for the week.
Back when I was flipping houses in Michigan, McDonald's was my go-to. A quick, cheap burger. Now? The price hike is too much. It's not the cheap time-saver it used to be. I see a lot of people pausing too. My advice is to just pack your own lunch if you're watching your budget.
McDonald's prices out here in Utah are just different now. Back in 2019, I'd grab a Big Mac meal between meetings without a thought. Now? That same meal costs you ten bucks. I notice the guys in work boots aren't stopping in like they used to. I've started making my own lunch lately, and the money I'm saving is no joke.
Those McDonald's prices really make me think twice about stopping in, and other small business owners I know around Iowa feel the same. After a long day at the clinic, that quick cheap meal now feels like a splurge. If you're feeling it too, I pack snacks ahead of time now or just hit the local chains. It saves a good bit.
My lending job allows me to be in constant contact with Heartland market clients who follow their wallets since even slight costs changes alter their financial security at the end of the month. A significant number of them used to rely on McDonalds as a reliable low-price food when they were working long days. That role was eliminated by the 43% growth since 2019. Simple mixes that cost almost seven dollars yesterday now cost over 12 in some areas, and that change makes it feasible only an occasional rather than a regular purchase by families The same goes with borrowers. They squeeze additional meals, avoid fast-food outlets and divert that amount to gasoline or food since they already cannot meet their budgets on these two issues. The change is important as the minor regular costs were employed to offer the flexibility to working families to operate. By the time those options are gone, the level of stress increases and the choices of discretion dwindle The disappointment lies in the ability to see a daily convenience being transformed to the discretionary level. The loss is even greater than the price tag since it can be interpreted that affordability is even further falling out of range.
The rising prices of McDonald's have slightly changed how frequently I buy from them because spending $5 to $7 for a burger and fries no longer feels worth it. I started going to local diners instead, which cost about the same but were fresher. A small $2 to $3 increase per item can add up in a week, and I noticed I was spending more without getting any extra value. I used to grab McDonald's out of habit, but now I go to smaller stalls instead. Even though I grew up on McDonald's, it no longer feels like the fast, budget-friendly option it used to be.
The price creep isn't a creep anymore it's a full-on slide. I noticed it at first, but eventually it got so ridiculous that I just started eating fast food less and less. The moment that really woke me up was earlier this year when my family and I were driving to a wedding four hours away. We stopped at McDonald's for the first time in maybe a year, and the total for three people came out to $45. I stared at the receipt like it had to be a mistake. Fast food was always supposed to be the "cheap and quick" option. Suddenly it's neither. For that exact same price, I can sit down at a real restaurant, get better food, and leave a tip. The gap between a sloppy drive-thru burger and an actual meal has gotten razor thin, and it makes the whole proposition feel pointless. After that trip, I basically cut fast food out completely. It's bad for the body and now, somehow, just as bad for the wallet. At this point it's not even a treat it's a scam wrapped in grease proof paper.
The effects of price increases at places like McDonald's clearly illustrate how inflation affects people differently by socioeconomic class. Notably, those affected by rising costs have not made changes to their employment/lifestyle to keep up with the shifting economic environment. The cost of living is more than just rising costs. It is a constant reminder to develop your skills, advance your career, or modify your spending habits to compete in today's economy successfully. The ability to adapt in today's fast-changing economic climate will be determined by the individual's willingness to think and act in an entrepreneurial manner and continually grow personally. Those who continue to maintain their current lifestyle and do not consider upgrading or enhancing it in response to rising costs may be at a competitive disadvantage. Developing a willingness to evolve through career development and additional skills will help individuals better manage the reality of inflation and make informed decisions in their increasingly complex financial environment.
Feeding a household at McDonald's used to feel simple. These days, the cost sits closer to what a sit-down restaurant charged a few years back. So we plan visits instead of swinging through on every busy evening. The younger ones hear the adults talk about prices, so even they sense the shift. When a basic meal for kids suddenly feels pricey, it turns into something we decide on with more care instead of relying on it during chaotic days.
Around here, people mention the price spike almost as much as they talk about planting season and thunderstorms. McDonald's used to be the go-to spot for early morning coffee, late-shift meals, or fries after school without checking a bank balance. That changed once the prices climbed. You see more folks drifting back to local diners because the difference in cost isn't wide anymore. Some smaller spots even look livelier these days. Fast food lost its status as the cheapest option, and the town adjusted on its own.