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Hands down the favorite in our family is Chick-fil-A. We could eat there every day and I’m pretty sure no one would complain. It’s also the easiest fast food restaurant to eat healthy at!
With all the Chick-fil-A love we have… it can be one of the most expensive fast food places. There are tricks to saving money at Chick-fil-A. In case no one has ever taught you these tricks, I thought I would compile all of our tips in one place!
9 Ways to Save at Chick-fil-A
Free Dessert for Kids
Convince your kids to skip the kids toy and they can get a free kiddie cup or cone of ice cream. My kids used to have to put serious thought into this, but now they see the value of free dessert! The toys just add clutter to our already crazy car anyway.
Or… Skip Kids Meals Completely
My husband was one of 4 and they all share about how they never had their own happy meal growing up. I don’t think they were affected negatively from this if anything they now see just how wise their parents were!
A 6 ct. kids meal at Chick-Fil-A starts at $4.75 in our area (prices vary by each location). Instead of ordering 5 of those for our crew – to the tune of $23.75 we have the girls drink water and order this:
(1) 30 count Chicken Nuggets Entree – $12.45
(3) Large Fries – $2.09 ea.
(5) cups of water
Total – $18.72
a savings of $5.03
I know it might not be as fun, but the goal is to save money here… If you don’t need a 30 count, they have 12 count nuggets for $4.99. For younger kids that could be 3 kids meals worth!
Cow Appreciation Day
Update: this has been canceled for now. Hopefully they will bring it back soon!
The eleventh of July every year is a special time at Chick-fil-A. If you haven’t taken part in the annual tradition of Cow Appreciation Day, you are missing out on the best freebie deal out there! Dress up like a cow and you get a completely free meal!! Most locations allow you to pick from any meal on the menu too! It’s the only night of the year that I can eat out with all my kiddos and pay nothing.
Follow on Social Media & Text
Most locations have their own facebook pages and email lists. Make sure to follow your favorite locations to be in the know on special events and discounts. My favorite they run are Receipt Days that allow you to get the meal you just ordered again for free if you save the receipt and come back on a special day. Some locations even offer text message discounts! Just ask at your location what they offer. You can also follow Chick-fil-A corporate on instagram they post fun pictures.
Always Use The Chick-Fil-A One App
This is the only way to order! Download the app and place all your orders through the app. Not only are they ready by the time you park the car, but you’ll also earn points with every order that you can redeem for free products. The more you use the app the faster you earn points! We are at Chick-Fil-A Red Status (their top level) and earn 12 points for every $1 spent. With a big family almost every order we make earns 360+ points and is enough for free IceDream (150 points) Drinks (250 points) or even a free Sandwich (350 points)!!
Mobile Mondays
Check with your favorite locations and see if they participate in Mobile Mondays. In my area over half of them do! When you place an order using the Chick-Fil-A One App on Monday, they load a free treat in your app for you to use another day that week. It’s usually small, but the best part about all treats in the app is that they don’t require any other purchase. So enjoy your free IceDream, Coke, or whatever treat they give you that week!
Coupons
While they aren’t all over the place, you will find coupons for free ice cream and other treats at various events. Pretty much anytime you go somewhere and see a Chick-fil-A tent up stop by and see if they have goodies they are passing out. A few years ago I had surgery and even had the Chick-fil-A cow stop in and pass out coupons in my hospital room…
Report Card Freebies
If your kids manage to get all A’s and B’s many locations offer report card incentives. Bring in a report card and see what they are giving as a reward! The locations we’ve visited have given ice cream for free! For homeschoolers there are many sites that offer free printable report cards. If your kids have earned it, they also deserve the sweet rewards. Print out a report card for them and most locations will accept it too. As with other special events, ask your location if they are participating.
Gift Card Promotions
This is my go-to tip to save at many restaurants… watch for promotions on gift cards. These vary but many times around the holidays they are “get a $5 gift card free when you purchase a $25 gift card”. That’s a 20% savings if you think about it. Also watch for deals on Visa/Mastercard gift cards at local stores because you can use these to reload your Chick-Fil-A balance in the app! Get a few of those deals and save them to eat on in the months ahead.
Do you have any other tips to saving at Chick-fil-A??