Saturday, February 26, 2011

am i overdoing it?

the boy & i felt like having burgers for lunch but not the full meal, because we had a late breakfast. so i decided i'll order a mcvalue meal and another burger alacarte.

he wanted a big mac & i, a spicy chicken mcdeluxe.

that's when i noticed the difference.

a mcvalue meal with either burger costs rm7.95 each, while for alacarte, a big mac costs rm6.70 & spicy chicken mcdeluxe, rm7.55.

if i ordered a big mac mcvalue meal & a spicy chicken mcdeluxe, it would cost rm7.95 + rm7.55 = rm15.50 plus tax. if i ordered a spicy chicken mcdeluxe mcvalue meal & a big mac, it would cost rm7.95 + rm6.70 = rm14.65 plus tax, or about 85sen cheaper for the same items.

so, if you had to order a combination meal like i did, would you be also doing mental calculations to save a bit?

or, am i just overdoing it?

btw, our local mcD allows free refill of soft drinks; however, i don't know if this unwritten & unspoken offer applies nationwide. if your skin is thick enough, try asking. nothing ventured, nothing gained. heh heh!

27 comments:

Jo said...

you're not overdoing it. You're just being a typical China man! :P

wenn said...

sometimes i do count mentally.

Birthie said...

Doc, the refill is a nationwide thing, I think...

I've been refilling since years ago. It's just that they never announce it to the public.

MsUnicorn Girl said...

i do the same thing too. Macvalue is slightly cheaper than the usual ala-carte . That's the reason why now I seldom patronise fast-food - expensive and fattening :)

Yvonne Foong said...

I notice this some time ago. Think MCD needs to hire better accountants and merchandisers. Don't they lose those patrons who would prefer buying just a burger to save money?

doc said...

Jo,

a chinaman who appreciates the value of money!

:P

doc said...

Wenn,

that's because you help run the shop, you need to be on top of things.

doc said...

Birthmark,

now, everyone can refill!

doc said...

Ms UG,

nowadays, we only go to mcD's for the lunchtime value meal.

doc said...

Yvonne,

i think the lunchtime mcvalue meal is a great marketing strategy - reduce price but leverage on greater sales volume, esp in the major cities where lunch at a hawker stall would cost almost the same.

even BK & pizza hut now have lunch menus.

Wang Tai Tai - 王太太 said...

My hubby does it all the time! Lol!! Every sen counts. :)

Medie007 said...

wah... u're definitely overdoing it doc! :P


either that or i get dizzy with numbers. :O

Yvonne Foong said...

I'm getting confused by market prices! Yesterday, I bought a packet of rice with steam drumstick and char siew for my friend. RM6.50. MCD also costs the same for a set.

Think being cooped up at home since December 2009 made me lose touch with market prices.

So, are you are saying that it's not the individual burger that is expensive? But it is the set lunch special price that is cheap?

I usually just eat their apple pie. Very seldom do I eat their burgers nowadays.

Yvonne Foong said...

Oh by the way, where I stay I can still get a good meal for RM4.00

doc said...

WangTT,

sounds like another typical china man! (Jo's own words)

doc said...

Medie,

you ought to get used to those mental calculations, because there'll be plenty of those when you do paeds & medicine.

doc said...

Yvonne,

rm4 for a meal with drinks is very reasonable in KL but those places would be few & far in between, right?

nowadays, i only go to mcD for lunch because that's when the mcvalue meal is almost the same price as the burger alone, eg. rm7.95 vs 7.55 for the spicy chicken mcdeluxe.

Hello Kitty said...

I do the mental calculation at other eateries, but not McD. It's a place I have to avoid due to my high cholesterol level (total 7.5!). Trying hard to avoid having to take Statin.

How do doctors and family keep statin away?

doc said...

Kitty,

indeed you have high cholesterol level & the only way to keep away from the statins is to change your lifestyle - including diet & exercise. that means more fruits, vegs & beans, & less meat & seafood. also at least 30mins brisk walk as often as possible, preferably daily.

it takes a lot of discipline, so are you prepared to go thru that? but sometimes, due to hereditary reasons, your cholesterol still remain high & you can't avoid statins.

your doctor should be able to advise you. all the best!

missyc said...

did u notice bigMac beef patties is thinner by the years but we're not :p

did u see the recent breakfast ad promo ? RM19.90 for 2-3pax. Inflated price, unhealthy too :(

anyways once in a blue moon, I do indulge except when I'm thiking of bigMac I end up ordering not so nice nor filling tummy FilletOFish!

Q are you overdoing it ? Nope :D

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU for this post. Now, I feel absolutely, 101% normal!!! *LOL*

And thanks for telling me that they give free refills.

Now, THAT, is something I wasn't aware of. Heh heh.

Anonymous said...

I usually order the McValue meals. Hardly ever order ala-carte.

doc said...

MissyC,

when i wrote this post, i told myself that if at least one person DIDN'T think i was overdoing it, i'd continue doing it. well, what do you know - there are people who even do likewise! so, looks like i'm going to count the pennies.

yeah, i thought i imagined that the big mac patties were thinner. looks like they really were!

actually, to be frank, everything sold at mcD is overpriced, if compared to the roadside burger stall but i think it's the ambience of the mcD restaurants that make people patronise them - the neat cardboxes, the kids' play area & now, of course, the free wi-fi.

still, allowing oneself a treat there occasionally, eg. once or twice a month, would not raise many eyebrows.

doc said...

Andrea,

now, you've made me feel "normal", too!

enjoy your free refills!

doc said...

Mei Teng,

the lunchtime mcvalue meals offer the best deals, & now, i hardly go there at other times.

HappySurfer said...

You're normal, Doc, and a wise consumer too, I might add. I do the calculations too sometimes. I'm sure anyone who can count, does. The roadside Ramly burger tastes much better and cost less too.. It's the ambience, you're right there.

doc said...

H.Surfer,

i'm so glad to have a friend in you!

the thing about ramly burgers is that there may be less meat & more flour but yes, besides the "roadside ambience", you get to see the guy fry the burger.