10 McDonald’s Menu Hacks to Try. Plus, Get a $75 Gift Card to Spend There!

Disclosure: We’re letting you know this post contains information about The Smart Wallet’s sister website, Flash Rewards. The Smart Wallet & Flash Rewards are owned by the same parent company and the author is a Smart Wallet employee

“Bahdabahbahbah…I’m lovin’ it!” Everyone knows the catchy jingle but did you know it was originally a manufactured hit song made famous by Justin Timberlake and then later revealed by McDonald’s it was part of their campaign all along? The very first TV ad included Pharrell Williams, Justin Timberlake, and rapper Pusha T making it the longest ad campaign ever, still running for 18 years now and counting.

Now that you know that fun fact, let’s get to some McDonald’s menu hacks and how to get that $75 gift card to spend there. But first, be sure to download the McDonald’s app to get instant free food, like an order of large fries and other insane deals happening on the daily.

10 McDonald’s Menu Hacks You Have to Try

McDonald’s prices generally aren’t all that expensive (depending on what you get) but you can still find creative ways to cure that craving for cheap. We think these menu hacks are pretty awesome.

1. Poor Man’s Big Mac

Brand Eating

The signature Big Mac is $4.89 in my area but you can get a copycat version for basically half the price by ordering the McDouble ($2.49) with extra lettuce and subbing out the ketchup/mustard with Big Mac sauce. There may be a slight add-on charge for either the lettuce or sauce but you’ll save yourself some calories too since this won’t have a third bun or second slice of cheese!

2. Fries with Big Mac Sauce

If you really like the Big Mac sauce, request for the sauce to be on the side so you can dip your fries into it! Be sure to ask if there’s an upcharge in your area so you can be mentally prepared.

3. Apple Pie à la mode

This one is pretty simple, just get a warm apple pie and a plain soft-serve sundae. Dunk the pie in the sundae, break it up, and eat! The combination of warm apple goodness and chilled sweet soft-serve is perfect for any time. You can also combine an apple pie with a McFlurry too!

@foodwithmichelMcDonald’s a la mode apple pie hack! #mcdonalds #mcdonaldshack #onvacation #summer♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod

4. Iced Coffee Shake

 

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Super simple and delicious. Order a Chocolate Shake and a shot of espresso. Mix and enjoy! You can also do this with a Vanilla Shake if you don’t feel like chocolate! McAffogato, anyone?

5. Super Fresh Fries or Super Fresh Filet

If you order your fries “with no salt,” they’ll have to make a fresh batch. The same with a Filet-O-Fish, when you order “with no cheese.” They’ll have to make a fresh filet! It’ll take a little longer to make if you’re willing to wait.

6. Order the Steamed Bun for Regular Burgers

The steamed bun that you get on the Filet-O-Fish is oddly satisfying. So smooth, you just want to pat it or poke at it. Or wish it’d give us the same skincare tips. If you want this fluffy and soft bun all the time, just ask for a steamed bun replacement for your burgers!

7. McNuggets May Be Cheaper on the Dollar Menu

Don’t undermine the Dollar Menu. Depending on where you live and the prices, it may be cheaper to get multiple orders of the McNuggets from the Dollar Menu than a “10-piece.” Just do a little calculation before blindly ordering and you can feel satisfied you “beat” the menu if it does work for your area.

8. Neopolitan Shake

A simple hack that’s super delicious. Just ask for a shake with chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla all combined. It won’t look like a pretty Neopolitan shake with the clearly visible layers (as they just mix everything together), but the taste will be there.

9. McFlurry Ice Cream Sandwich

Credit: N8 @nxthvniel_

I’ve spread vanilla soft serve on warm McDonald’s cookies before but this takes it to another level. Order the Oreo McFlurry and cookies, hug them tight together, and bam. A messy but extremely delicious dessert.

10. Hash Brown McMuffin

Who says you have to eat your hash browns separately? Slide in that crispy goodness between your McMuffin buns and you’ve got a more efficient (and delicious) way to enjoy your breakfast sandwich.

How to Get a $75 Gift Card to McDonald’s

Now that we’ve got you craving for some Mickey D’s, let’s show you how to get that gift card.

All you have to do is try out some deals from Flash Rewards, a program that’s been around since 2016 and has rewarded $11 million dollars already to visitors over time.

How Flash Rewards Work

Flash Rewards work by showing you “deals” that they think you would like. This includes mobile apps and games, subscriptions, financial services, etc. Each type of deal you choose has its own mini task to complete.

It goes like this:

  1. Head over to Flash Rewards and fill out basic info (Email, Name, etc.)
  2. Take a quick Survey (it helps them figure out what offers & deals to recommend you)
  3. See if any Offers interest you (optional)
  4. Important: Complete 1 Silver, 1 Gold, and 2 Platinum deals to qualify!
  5. Once you claim, the money arrives within a week!

You won’t get your reward if you don’t complete the required amount of deals. Depending on what deals you choose, you could complete it all in a day, which is what users like to do, but know that most offers aren’t instant.

If you think getting $75 is too good to be true, just know that it’s legit, BUT you have to read the instructions, you’re giving your time, and you do have to spend a little money to earn more money.

I spent about $5 trying out services that I became interested in, and when I completed the deals and submitted the claim, the $75 e-gift card arrived in my inbox in a week!

Good luck, have fun, and remember it takes a little effort but it’s legit! Bahdabahbahbah!