“Would you like to supersize that?” This is a phrase we often hear when we order our food at fast food restaurants. The term originated from McDonald’s Super size trademark and has become commonly used when ordering food. Although the campaign to promote larger sized orders has been removed, the extra large sizes are still available on the menu.
The success of this campaign resulted in other fast food restaurants following in McDonald’s footsteps in order to stay competitive. To “supersize” your order means to make your order EXTRA large, extra large French fries (7 ounce) and extra large soft drinks (42 ounce). Considering the fact that fast food is unhealthy, most people fall for this marketing campaign because they believe that they are receiving more bang for their buck. But have you thought about how much money you could actually save by NOT supersizing your order?
Lets take a look at the price comparison between the “small” order vs. the “supersize” order from 4 different fast food chained restaurants.
1. McDonalds
Most popular meal: Big Mac Sandwich
Small (or regular) order: $ 5.79
Calories: 1270
To upgrade combo:
Large: $ 0.64
Calories: 1520
Note: The regular order at McDonald’s is a medium
Calculation of savings (in dollars) if you were to NOT upgrade your combo at McDonald’s three times a week
Saving per week: (3 x 0.64) = $1.92
Saving per month: (4 x 1.92) = $7.68
Saving per year: (12 x 7.68) = $92.16
2. Burger King
Most popular meal: Double Whopper Sandwich
Small (or regular) order: $ 4.89
Calories: 1470
Add Cheese: $0.50
Total calories: 1520
To supersize combo:
Large: $ 0.80
Calories: 1890
Calculation of savings (in dollars) if you were to NOT upgrade your combo plus cheese at Burger King three times a week
Saving per week: (3 x 1.30) = $ 3.90
Saving per month: (4 x 3.90) = $ 15.60
Saving per year: (12 x 15.60) = $ 187.20
3. Jack in the Box
Most popular meal: Jumbo Jack Sandwich w/ cheese
Small (or regular) order: $4.07
Calories: 1185
To supersize combo:
Large: $ 0.89
Calories: 1745
Calculation of savings (in dollars) if you were to NOT upgrade your combo at Jack in the Box three times a week
Saving per week: (3 x 0.89) = $ 2.67
Saving per month: (4 x 2.67) = $ 10.68
Saving per year: (12 x 10.68) = $ 128.16
4. Carl’s Jr.
Most popular meal: Famous Star Sandwich with Cheese
Small (or regular) order: $5.25
Calories: 1069
To supersize combo:
Large: $ 0.89
Calories: 1550
Calculation of savings (in dollars) if you were to NOT upgrade your combo at Carl’s Jr. three times a week
Saving per week: (3 x 0.89) = $2.67
Saving per month: (4 x 2.67) = $ 10.68
Saving per year: (12 x 10.68) = $ 128.16
If these savings aren’t enough to convince you to not supersize your order, chew on this: many people don’t realize that the regular or small sizes on the menu are already more than half of the average calories that we need to eat per day. And that is only from one meal! The recommended daily calorie intake varies depending on your age, but for average adults it is 2000 per day for women and 2500 per day for men. To find out more about the number of calories your body needs each day and tips on how to live a healthier lifestyle, check out the U.S Department of Health & Human Services website. Just because you feel like you can get more food by adding a little less than a dollar doesn’t mean you should. One of the interesting findings that I was not aware of before is the fact that McDonald’s “regular” size is already a “medium”, they actually don’t have a “small” size (other than the kid’s size).
To promote eating healthy and take better control of your finances, next time you make a quick stop at a fast food restaurant you should think twice when asked, “would you like to supersize that?”
