This Genius Culver's Ordering Hack Will Get You A Full Meal For Less Than $10

Craving fast food on a tight budget? We can't recommend ordering off the kids' menu enough. Sure, sometimes the portions are teeny-tiny, and the sides aren't fantastic, but if you play your cards right, you'll get nearly the same amount of food as the regular menu at much lower prices. Our favorite place to do this is Culver's, a popular Wisconsin-born burger chain known for its squeaky cheese curds, ButterBurgers, and made-to-order fare.

Here's what you'll do: Order the Kids' Single ButterBurger Cheese meal. You'll get a juicy burger about the same size as the regular ones, a side of fries or apple sauce, a fountain drink, juice, or tea, and a scoop of custard for just $6.99. Of course, that's the base price — if you get a medium or large side or drink, your meal could go up to around $7.50 or $9.00, depending on the upgrade. And if you customize your sides, say you get cheese curds, chili, or onion rings, you'll pay anywhere from $1 to $3 extra, bumping your meal over $10. A large cheese curd, for instance, brings the meal to $12.49.

Ultimately, if you stick with the burger (most toppings are free), basic Culver's sides, and the complimentary scoop of vanilla or chocolate custard, your meal will easily fit within your $10 budget. Just note that prices might vary based on location; the estimates above are for a location in South Florida. So you might pay more or less where you live.

If you're not keen on trying and ranking every Culver's burger, the kids' menu ButterBurger should suffice. In fact, customers have recommended their favorite ways to snazz up this kids' meal staple to make it feel like a regular menu item. One Redditor on r/Culvers said they add veggies to their burger to make it taste more like the Deluxe option on the main menu, which comes with tomato, onion, pickles, lettuce, and mayo. Also, if you don't want to pay $3+ extra for a kids' concrete mixer, just get a free topping on your custard scoop and mix it up. Redditors rave about the blueberry cheesecake and Snicker's bites.

Maybe money's not the issue, and you're ordering a kids' meal because you're not that hungry. In that case, splurge for the chain's signature cheese sauce. Lucky fans score massive portions of this Culver's favorite at certain locations, and even though it can be up to $6 extra, it's worth the gooey, delicious flavor. You could even pour it over your order of steamed broccoli, turning a Culver's side that feels out of place into a yummy veggie dish all its own.