The new morning dollar menu is best viewed as a mix and match, and it's perfectly easy to buy your breakfast now for 3 dollars and a little change with tax. Great deal!

For example, you can get an egg mcmuffin, a fruit and yogurt parfait, and a medium coffee for 3.00 plus tax.

I can tell you right now, the egg mcmuffins are going to fly off the racks!

I was a consistent mcmuffin eater for a few years but it seemed prices had gone far too high for me to continue. Just a few short months ago, I remember paying almost 6 dollars for 2 mcmuffins with tax. To think they are now only a dollar makes my mouth water!

According to experts, the unemployment rate has definitely affected the number of people who used to routinely visit Mcdonalds for breakfast instead of eating cereal or other breakfast foods at home. This has spelled disaster for breakfast sales in most every fast food place around the country.

To make matters worse, Dunkin' Donuts has lured away a big chunk of Mickey Dee's customers at breakfasttime, and sales from MD's new specialty coffees launched in May of 2009 have not been the hit they expected.

I still think you can't go wrong with their breakfast at their regular price. I usually eat either pancakes with just a little bit of syrup or an egg mcmuffin with a medium regular coffee. It keeps my calories down and it doesn't burn holes in my pockets!

Recently it was discovered by some smart shopper that the Mcdonalds prices on 20 piece Mcnuggets in some areas was actually higher than if you merely purchased 5 four-piece Mcnuggets off their dollar menu!

Talk about a great deal!

I was wondering recently why these darn chicken morsels seemed so expensive; Mcdonalds menu prices are usually very low-priced.  I should have looked closer at the dollar menu.

I recently took a mini-vacation and on the first night, the kids didn't want to go to Outback Steakhouse or Longhorn's for a thick, juicy steak. No!  they wanted - you guessed it - some chicken Mcnuggets.  Although I like mine with BBQ sauce, my cholesterol's high and I should really stay away; ahh, who am I kidding?... I loved them anyway!

Some people have begun to question Mcdonalds about this price discrepancy but their representatives say it is definitely not a trick or scam; each franchisee sets their own prices, and it may or may not be an oversight on their part.

Either way, now that the cat's out of the bag, you can bet franchise owners are going to scrutinize their prices with a fine toothed comb.  Another snafu like this one would be mighty embarrassing indeed.

It goes to show you; we should always be searching for the best value for our money when it comes to purchasing anything, not just at Mcdonalds.  Always keep a look out for their daily and weekly specials; they usually post them as advertisements right on their windows.

It will definitely be the biggest patty featured on their menu, and it is still unknown if this Mcdonalds hamburger will be a permanent addition to its menu. Experts say whenever their is a weak economy, it's wise to add new products to a menu to attract more customers.

The 1/3 pound Mcdonalds angus burger has been in their menu since March 2007 in a few select cities in Southern California as well as in Columbus, OH and New York for testing purposes. The burgers have sold pretty well so far.

The one obvious drawback, of course, is it is loaded with calories. for example, if you order the Angus Bacon And Cheese burger, toss in some large fries and a diet coke, you'll ingest a whopping 1,290 calories!

Still, the taste reviews have indicated the burgers are nothing short of awesome, making this one an absolute treat "every now and then."

Last week on a Saturday, my wife and I took the kids to a favorite hotel in Orlando, FL which has a built in water park and we decided to eat nothing but Mcdonalds menu items throughout the day.  The verdict?

I spent less money than I ever had during any vacation day I've ever had!  Now, this was only a two-day getaway; it's one that we do often as a family since we can commute easily. 

We left town on a Friday morning and I cooked breakfast at home.  For lunch, we ate at the hotel cafe and spent 43.00 on food which was nothing to write home about. 

When it came to dinner, we were a little tired and ordered pizza for the kids as my wife and I opted for a couple of sandwiches she had prepared for the trip earlier that morning. The total cost of the pizza including a tip for the driver was 19.00.

The following morning, I was so relieved to be looking up at the menu in Mcdonalds while I ordered the perfect breakfast at the perfect price; two big breakfasts and an egg mcmuffin for a whopping $12.00!  The Mcdonalds big breakfast is the perfect fit for my family because my wife feeds my 4 year old the pancakes while she devours the eggs, biscuit, sausage, and hash browns.  It's really a ridiculous amount of food for the price.

For our Mcdonalds lunch, I spent approximately $15.00 as I split the chicken mcnuggets with my son while watching my wife and daughter scarf down a Big Mac.

By the time dinner came around, it was too late to eat a big meal and my wife and I weren't all that hungry, so I got the kids two chicken mcnuggets for a little under $10.00.

Total cost of the day for meals purchased from the menu in Mcdonalds; $37.00!  Now, that's pretty darn impressive, considering when you're away from home the average cost per meal for a family of four runs you about $30.00 - $35.00, and that's if you're eating cheap!

Bottom line here is; it's wise to plan your meals when you are traveling and to include the Mcdonalds food menu when you can.  You'll save a lot of money and your kids will thank you for the yummy foods!

Mcdonalds earned close to $980 million in net income for the first quarter of 2009 even though sales overseas have been faltering. Many experts believe the current slow economy is helping sales because of their many low-priced Mcdonalds menu items which are attracting customers in droves.

Even better, their association with the idea of healthy foods such as their salads and wraps are enticing health-conscious customers to enter their golden arches consistently.

All of this is great news for anyone craving a Mcdonalds meal; since their business is doing very well, far better than any other fast food chain, their prices will remain very low.

In order to take advantage of Mcdonalds dollar menu, stick to only the items listed on that menu; this fast food chain is like all other fast food chains where they offer low priced meals and up-sell more expensive items once you've placed your order for the cheap items. It's simply good business.

Regardless, there is no better choice for fast food when you're hungry and in a hurry as most of us are with our busy schedules; just make sure you make inexpensive, healthy choices!

Also, it's difficult to keep your fat content in foods under control because fast foods are traditionally loaded with them; you simply need to make wise choices and not eat fast food everyday.

Here are my top picks to guarantee healthy Mcdonalds meal every time in combinations:

For Breakfast

Opt for the English Muffin with only 1 package of grape jam, and throw in a fruit and yogurt parfait and you're good to go!
Optionally you can drink a 12 ounce orange juice and you've got yourself a 490 calorie meal with very little fat - only 5 grams.

If you choose the pancakes with syrup and an 8 ounce 1% lowfat milk, that's another great choice but it has a few more calories (640).

For Lunch

Now it's starting to get interesting.  Remember, you're trying to choose the items with the most nutritional value and the least amount of fat, while keeping the caloric intake as low as possible without sacrificing too much taste.  Here's where healthy meals at Mcdonalds is a snap!

Contrary to popular belief, their grilled chicken sandwiches are not the healthiest protein choice on their menu.  A premium grilled chicken classic sandwich has 170 more calories than their regular burger.

A  Caeser salad with grilled chicken is more than just a healthy Mcdonalds meal, it is absolutely the healthiest!
When I eat this delicious salad I bring my own fat-free dressing to shave off the calories, but you can eat their low-fat vinaigrette dressing and still be fine.  Total calories for the salad with the low fat dressing is a measly 260 calories.  Can anyone say, "wow, you're getting skinny?" Ronald Mcdonald would be proud of you.

For Dinner

You can eat the same as the lunch described above, but if you're craving some meat, go for the regular hamburger which contains only 250 calories and 9 grams of fat.  Mix in a side salad and you've got a tasty dinner with exremely low calories.

Don't hesitate to look at the Mcdonalds Nutrition facts on their main website; a little planning goes a long way.  Make a list on a sheet of paper or in a notepad, and include fat content in grams, saturated fats, calories, etc. 

Try not to visit any fast food restaurant when you're starving; this is where people tend to start getting overweight.  It's okay to fill your stomach up to your heart's content, but when you mix in foods which have a fairly high fat content as in these places, you're asking for trouble.

By familiarizing yourself with their menu Mcdonalds healthy meals can be a snap!

This blog is entirely about eating Mcdonalds food on the cheap, how to build delicious meals, and how to eat healthy if that's what you prefer.  Most people don't realize you can actually eat fast food and lose weight with a little planning and lots of willpower!

Also, there are some obvious cheap deals that won't break the bank with food items contained in their Mcdonalds dollar menu such as the new McDouble burger which is just like the double cheeseburger, except it contains only one slice of cheese.

The double cheeseburger has slightly gone up in price to anywhere between 1.19 and 1.49 to save and/or recoup the obvious cost of one extra slice of cheese; to us it seems petty and unfair, but to them, with so many of these burgers sold, they know they can make tons of more revenue.

The dollar menu also includes their absolutely delicious french fries which I believe are the best in the fast food industry and the ever-scrumptious McChicken sandwich which is also a favorite.  Again, each restaurant slightly varies as far as their items listed for only a dollar, but these three are almost always on that cheap list.
Mcdonalds has changed over the last few years and now boasts some of the best tasting fast food as well as an option to eat healthily at breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Mcdonalds menu prices are very hard to beat; you'd be hard-pressed to find higher quality food on the run.  Furthermore, their quality of service is unsurpassed in the industry making them the obvious choice for the greatest fast food restaurant chain in the business!