More Adults Are Ordering Kids' Meals, But Does It Actually Save You Money?

As we continue to navigate a less than ideal economy, people have started to look for ways to prepare their pantry for a recession. That usually means buying long-lasting items that you can get in bulk, and doing away with indulgent foods like candy and fast food. However, many people still want to enjoy the odd piece of comfort food. In an effort to do so without blowing their budgets, some consumers are ordering kids' fast food meals to save a bit of money, but is this trend actually worth it?

The most obvious argument against ordering from the kids' menu is that the portions are a lot smaller. So, let's run some numbers using Chipotle as an example to see if this hack actually works. Where I live, a quesadilla with beef barbacoa, black beans, brown rice, plus an apple juice, and a side of tortilla chips costs $16.50. The same exact order for kids costs only $4.90. In terms of calories, the adult version contains 1,610 calories while the children's one contains 640 calories. This means that the adult quesadilla has 2.52 times the amount of calories but costs 3.37 times as much. If you got three small quesadillas, you'd pay $14.70 and get more calories for your money (exactly 1,920).

When calculating the numbers by comparing Five Guys' cheeseburger and mini cheeseburger, we found that the mini version costs $8.06 and contains 610 calories while the regular one costs $11.69 for 980 calories. (These prices will fluctuate depending on where in the country you are ordering from.) In this instance, if you ordered two mini cheeseburgers, you'd be paying an extra $4.43 for only 240 more calories. In this case, you wouldn't really be saving money.

Because every menu and every item is different, the best way to determine if you should order from the kids' menu is to run the numbers for the exact item that you want. Maybe this is too much work, but desperate times call for desperate measures. (Just be thankful we're not eating Great Depression-era water pies, yet.)

There are other non-money related factors you should also take into consideration. For instance, kids' menus are often restrictive, having fewer items and not allowing for as many toppings. Going back to the Chipotle quesadilla example, getting the small version would restrict you from adding guacamole and cheese to a meat topping. Is saving a bit of money worth it for a less interesting meal? The answer is personal, but that factor should be taken into account.

Then there's the hunger factor. Some people come in just a bit hungry, others aren't used to American-sized portions or are trying to restrict their calorie intake. In these cases, getting the smaller meal makes sense regardless of whether it saves you money or not. On the flip side, if you're not too hungry and get a bigger item, you'll be able to get two meals out of one. Saving money and being able to skip cooking twice seems like a definite win.