Woman goes viral with $12 McDonald's dinner box that feeds family of 5. Can you get one?
Fast food - it's quick, filling and, most importantly, cheap; or at least, it's supposed to be.
Chains such as McDonald's have faced criticism as prices soared in recent years, resulting in less revenue from lower-income consumers. McDonald's has since promised a reduction in prices after repeated price hikes were thought to be resulting in lackluster sales.
Some people, however, have taken matters into their own hands, finding deals, discounts and hacks to share far and wide online. One TikToker has gained some virality by bringing attention to a lesser-known McDonald's meal deal - one so affordable, some netizens couldn't believe it.
Blasting off:McDonald's spinoff CosMc's opens first Texas location
$12 McDonald's meal box
TikToker Leiela Kapewa-Latu, who goes by account name @xolovelei, shared a post about a "$12 dinner box" that has since wracked up more than 12 million views. In the video, Kapewa-Latu, who ordered her meal in the drive-thru of her local Texas McDonald's, shares the surprising amount of food inside the box.
In an interview with "Good Morning America," Kapewa-Latu said the bundle fed her family of five.
"There's two cheeseburgers in here, but there are four small fries, ten-piece chicken nuggets and there's two Big Macs. $12 y’all," she said. In another clip, she showed her receipt, which read "MickeyD's Dinner Box" at the price of $12.19. After tax, the total came to $13.20,
While prices vary between locations and methods of ordering, a similar haul generally costs anywhere from $26 to $30+ if each item in the bundle were ordered individually.
According to one commenter, a similar order could cost them $40 at their local store in Canada.
In a follow-up clip, Kapewa-Latu advises a commenter who said they were unable to find the box on their app (the user said it didn't appear when she simply scrolled through the menu but did when she searched it specifically). In a later video, Kapewa-Latu also specified that looking under "shareables" on the app or when ordering at an in-store kiosk will allow you to see what your location offers.
Food deals for March Madness:Get freebies, discounts at Buffalo Wild Wings, Wendy's, more
Different locations, different deals
It appears the deal is highly variable by state and location.
Commenters beneath Kapewa-Latu's videos shared what box or bundle deals were and were not available near them.
"No Dinner box in Vegas, but we have 40 nugs, 4 med fries for $18.99! or 2 big Mac's, 20pc and 2 med fry $18.99," said one. "I need to move to your state 'cause my state it's $35.99 (in mine)," said another.
"The CA variation is called the Classic Big Mac Pack and it’s $28," another added. Others shared the price for the same box in their state, with one saying it was $27 in Pennsylvania, $18 in Mississippi, and $25 in New Jersey.
Even if your local McDonald's doesn't have this exact bundle, there are still others to look for, some comments advised. The "shareables" or "deals" menus can be viewed on the app, at kiosks or on some board menus. You can also simply ask an employee what they have available.
USA TODAY has reached out to McDonald's for comment.
