If you go to a Fast Food restaurant and get a soda, order it with little or no ice. The soda comes out of the machine chilled and as long as you drink it sooner rather than later, you won’t really miss the ice and you will get more soda for your money.
And this tip comes from Sara…
If you’re eating your food in there, order a small and refill it on your way out (skipping the ice, again, if you’re going to drink it right away)!
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No ice smart tip! I’ll have to tell them little ice next time I go get me sweet tea from mickey d’s.
We do this too! And we share a drink if they give free refills, oh and NEVER order larges!
I usually get water when eating out unless it’s a special occasion.
I first heard about the ice trick when I went to a fast food restaurant with some international students in grad school. They couldn’t believe people here were willing to pay for drinks diluted with ice! They were like … if I pay for a cup of Coke, I want to get my money’s worth!
Though I have to say … at Sonic, the ice is half the fun. :-)
Agree! I love the “pellet” ice. I joked with the nurses in the delivery room that I only got pregnant so I could get the ice!
Hubby and I also share the drink if it is pepsi products. I Love diet pepsi. Otherwise hubby gets sweet tea and I get water. Water is free. At resturant’s I always get water.
I order waters at the restaurants and then I bring the single packs of water flavoring and add it to the water. Saves on a total of 6 drinks that would have to be ordered for the whole family. I can bring whatever water flavor each one of my family members wants since we all have different tastes.
We do this too! Saves a bundle and tastes better than plain water!
When dining out with my hubby and 10 year old son, I “bribe” them to give up the soda’s or fancy beverages. Prices for soda’s range from 1.00 (McDonalds) to 2.00 oand up at a sit down place. So if a soda is $2.00, I offer my son $1.00 for his Disney fund. I adjust the “bribe” depending on the cost of the soda/drink. Hubby and I put our soda money in our Disney fund. This actually does several things: (1) We give up some sugar and drink water instead and (2) adds to our Disney fund and (3) I still get by cheaper because I am paying a small amount for the “bribe” and not what the full price of the drink and (4) my son is learning about saving money instead of wanting to spend it immediately–this “drink” money is Disney only money and cannot be spent on something else!
If your McDonald’s doesn’t have the fill it yourself station – you can go back up and ask for a refill – all they ask is that you remove the cover for them. We usually order water to drink and I am mean, my kids almost never get a happy meal – we order from the dollar menu and get a large fry to split – 4 of us can eat at Wendy’s for under 10 bucks :)
I have a 4 yr old who was asked what he wanted to drink. His response “Diet Coke with lite ice” my husband akmost fell in the floor. lol We do alot of driving for my husbands job and it makes for good family time if we go with him so we grab $1.00 menu burgers and grab a .50 fountain drink from one of the gas stations on days that I was not able to get it together enough to pack lunches.
I have a friend who makes the whole family order water. She tells them instead of beverages, they will order an appetizer to share! My husband won’t go for that, but we have 6 in the family so we order 3 drinks. BTW, at Disney, they charge for bottled water, but you can ask for water at the food stations. They will give you ice and water in their soda cups for free! I was so surprised by this when I recently went with a friend. She looked at me like I was nuts when I packed bottled water. She said she ALWAYS get FREE water at Disney. In her words “It’s a park, they don’t want you to pass out!” LOL PS I am NOT Suggesting AT ALL that you fill up those cups with soda, just that THEY give you the ice and water in the same, cardboard, fountain cups.
Me and my kids do that too.. I have them trained,, but do you know that at Taco Bell they charge you an extra 10 cents if you order no ice! YEP! O well I do it anyway, cuz I drink so slow that I’d have watered down soda all the time, and i usually bring it home and put it in the fridge for the day.
I have to have ice! most restaurants have free refills so i always order a small soda!
Great tip! I once (years ago!) worked at Carl’s Jr. and we were trained to fill the cup 3/4s of the way full with ice! That is crazy!! Since I have always asked for “lite ice” :)
I usually just get water. It helps me save money and keep healthier. I save drinking soft drinks for at home when the cost is much cheaper.
If you’re eating your food in there, order a small and refill it on your way out (skipping the ice, again, if you’re going to drink it right away)!
The Hubbs & I usually share a drink too, to save money. He’ll order a combo meal, and I’ll order just a sandwich.
Oh smart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wish hubs and I liked the same soda. He won’t touch diet and I won’t touch regular. :-/
I thought you swore off diet pop altogether…What happened?
This is exactly what we do! I’ll also get a cup of water :D.
We do the same thing. Lately, we have been doing their $9.99 deal of (2) 20 pieces, (2) Lg drinks and (2) lg fries, but ask for (2) of the boxes of nuggets and a fry be held back until we leave and they note it on our reciept and we get it when we leave; makes for a great motel snack when the DH is gone with National Guard stuff and I’m in the room. When we leave and we are doing that; the DH also fills his lg drink with what I want so that I get twice the soda at the motel and now that we coupon; we don’t use the vending machines!
Sharing a drink is fine if you go through the drive thru and take it home, but do you really share a drink and get a bunch of refills if you go in and sit down? that seems like stealing to me. Water is free…
With refills and both people drinking heartily, I agree. It’s like sharing a buffet. However, if it’s just a sip or two, then I don’t think it’s a problem. My husband and I do this at the movies. He used to get a large and I a small, but I always have issues needing to go to the restroom in the middle of the movie, and it costs so much, so now, I skip the Coke and just take a sip out of his when my mouth gets really dry. And I usually don’t have any of the refill he gets on the way out at al. So if they’re doing something like that, it’s OK, IMO.