A McDonald’s Kids Meal Costs 57% More Than It Did Just 10 Years Ago

Unsurprisingly, many Americans have tightened their restaurant budget along with their belts in the face of ever-rising prices to dine out, and fast-food chains have been competing to introduce value meals to lure back diners to the drive-through line — but what about feeding the kids?

A new study compares the cost of kids ' meals from different fast-food chains over the past decade, and the price of a Happy Meal has more than doubled. If you're trying to stretch your restaurant budget , how does the Happy Meal compare to the other value meals offered by the Golden Arches?

1. History of the Happy Meal

The first Happy Meal hit the market in the fall of 1977 in Kansas City. By 1979, a national rollout led to the iconic meal we all know now. The first version included a burger, small fries, a packet of cookies, a surprise gift, and a small drink packaged in a special box designed to look like a lunch pail but decorated with colorful artwork meant to appeal to children. It cost customers $1.10.

Make Money: 8 things to do if you're barely scraping by financially

2. Price increase

The first McDonald's Happy Meals were rolled out for $1.10 and maintained fairly steady pricing throughout the 1980s. By 2014, the average cost increased to $2.99. Over the past decade, the price has now gone up to $4.59 for the iconic kids' meal. That's an increase of 54% in less than a third of the time.

3. Kids' value meal vs. Adult value meal

A Happy Meal costs nearly $5 now and includes your choice of hamburger, cheeseburger, or chicken nuggets, along with a small side of French fries, apple slices, or a Go-Gurt tube, a kid's drink, and a small toy.

Comparatively, McDonald's current $5 Meal Deal is basically the same price and includes either a McChicken or a McDouble, four-piece chicken nuggets, small fries, and a small drink. If you're really missing that toy, there is currently a "grown-up Happy Meal" branded as a Collector’s Meal that comes with an iconic collectible—for $12.99.

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Bottom line

McDonald's Happy Meals are supposed to be inexpensive options for children to eat alongside their parents, but if your children are more interested in the food than the toy, then the $5 Meal Deal may be a better value option.

Many families are tightening their budgets to tackle rising grocery costs , and often, eating out is the first and easiest thing to cut when streamlining a budget. Happy Meals may not provide the value families seek anymore, so it might be time to upgrade your kids to a full meal.

Money tips that can work for everyone

No matter what your bank account balance is, there's always an opportunity to optimize and improve your finances. Here's a quick checklist of things you can look at today.

Focus on paying off your debt . Debt can hold you back from making progress with your overall financial well-being. Aside from cutting expenses, there are tools that can help you pay off debt faster like balance transfer credit cards and debt counseling.

Earning extra income can give you breathing room. If finances are tight, earning some extra money to supplement your income can make a huge difference. A new job is one option to consider, but if you're not ready to make a big change or already retired, a part-time side job could be a better choice.

Cut your expenses. It sounds painful and so not fun, but it doesn't have to be. Take a look at your biggest expenses because that's where you'll probably find the biggest savings. For example, auto insurance rates have been soaring so shopping around for a new insurance company can be the fastest way to cut your bill. Also, look for ways to cut your grocery bill (despite rising inflation).