The 3 Best Ways To Spend $25 At In-N-Out

If you're hungry, near an In-N-Out, and only have $25 to spend, you'll feel like a king with the amount of delicious food and drinks you can score while staying under budget. For $25, you'd be hard-pressed to get a full meal, drink, and dessert at most other places. At In-N-Out, you can easily feed two, maybe even three people, if you don't mind sharing fries and drinks — and hey, free refills. 

Now, if you're trying to figure out the best way to spend $25, you could come up with an infinite number of combinations if you polled enough people. But what is the absolute best way to do it? We crunched the numbers (based on local prices in San Diego, California, including tax) to determine the three best combinations for different appetites.

You'll see a mix of burgers, fries, drinks, shakes, and a few secret menu items (which, of course, don't have prices listed on the menu). Keep in mind, you can always ask for your burgers Animal Style at no extra charge, which includes a mustard-fried patty, extra spread, melted cheese, grilled onions, and pickles. If you're ready for one of the best meals you've had in a while, here's what to order at the best American burger chain.

If you've never had In-N-Out or prefer to stick with the tried-and-true order, this classic combination covers all the hits. Start by ordering a Double-Double combo for $12.12, which includes the double-stacked burger, an order of fries, and a medium drink. Then, you'll add a cheeseburger for $4.76 to make it an even more satisfying meal.

But here's the trick. Upgrade to Animal-style fries for $2.70 more to get that extra bit of cheese, grilled onions, and In-N-Out spread on top of the fries. Add a shake of your choice for $3.46, bringing the grand total to $23.04 — just a couple of bucks under budget.

You've got some flexibility here. You can upgrade your fountain drink to a large or extra-large for a few cents more, or even turn it into a float, which is an In-N-Out secret menu item you probably haven't heard of. There's also room to upgrade your regular shake to a large one for a little under a dollar more. Overall, this classic order covers all your bases: entrées, sides, and dessert, all under $25.

Sometimes, you just want to go all out. And at In-N-Out, it's surprisingly easy to fill up without breaking the bank. This combo is meant for those with a bigger appetite, and perfect for sharing, if you're with friends or family. At In-N-Out, you can order up to four patties stacked high, which is essentially two Double-Doubles. You'll order it as a 4x4, and that'll come out to $11.10.

Then, you'll add a cheeseburger combo for $10.01, which comes with fries and a medium drink. Add a shake for $3.46, and you'll be just under budget at $24.57. That's about as close as you can get to $25, giving you some pocket change for those incidental expenses that always seem to come up at fast food restaurants.

This one gives you two burgers, fries, and two drinks, albeit one is more of a dessert. You technically have enough to upgrade your fountain drink to a large for about 20 cents, or possibly an extra-large if you want to go a penny over budget. But since you have free refills, you won't need to do that if you're dining in.

If you're trying to cut carbs in some places, or just prefer no bread, In-N-Out makes it easy — and you'll still feel full and satisfied with your meal. For this order, you'll ask for a Double-Double combo, but order it protein style, which wraps the burger in large, crisp leaves of fresh lettuce. It's the same price as a regular Double-Double, which is $12.12. 

You'll upgrade your combo fries to Animal-style for $2.70 more to add a little indulgence to your meal. Then, you'll add the secret menu Flying Dutchman, which is essentially two beef patties with a couple of slices of melted American cheese and optional toppings (we recommend opting for grilled onions, which create a sort of makeshift bun). Some say this is the best burger on the menu. This adds $6.17 to the order. Finish it off with a shake for $3.46, bringing the total to $24.45, just shy of the $25 budget.

You won't miss the buns at all with the lettuce wrap and grilled onions. You also have a bit of wiggle room if you want to upgrade your shake or drink to a larger size if you want. While this is technically a lower-carb order, it's still as delicious as the standard order and a good option if you've been eating out a lot but still want the convenience and taste of In-N-Out.