I WAS ALWAYS a bit skeptical when fast food places started offering apps. I didn’t want to take up storage on my phone. But hearing about good deals made me want to try them out. And I’m so glad I did!

I have a folder on my phone with a couple of food apps. My all-time favorites are McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Cafe Rio. These apps have mastered good deals and reward systems, and I would recommend them to anyone trying to save some money.

Cafe Rio’s food is so good! It’s one of the only fast-food restaurants where you feel good after eating it. My personal favorite item is the kid’s menu sweet pork quesadilla, and the app only makes it easier to get free food.

For every dollar you spend (scanning your app in-person), you get 1 point. Once you get 100 points, you get $10 off. Even though it does take a lot of points, it’s so nice when you can get two free meals. They also have so many opportunities for bonus points, so it’s easier to build them up.

The Wendy’s $5 biggie bag is such a good deal. You get a burger, fries, nuggets, and a drink for only $5. My personal favorite is the junior bacon cheeseburger, with ketchup for the fries and nuggets, and a Coke. While they don’t have a good rewards system, their offers on the app are worth it.

Recent deals have been a $1 Dave’s Single and $2 Dave’s Double. If you didn’t use the app, these burgers would have been $6-$8. And these burgers are a really good size. They also have offers such as 50% off kid’s meals and so much more.

The one and only McDonald’s app has a perfect offer and reward system. Now I haven’t used this one recently due to recent protests, but the app is really good. You usually spend around $10 to get something free, and it’s easy to rack up points.

Their offers are just as good. They often have BOGO deals with ice cream, $5 20-piece nuggets, and free fries/drink with a purchase. It’s a nice option when I don’t have much in my bank account, but then I can get something for free with the app. Plus, their mobile orders are really easy.

I think if other companies follow the good qualities from these three restaurants, downloading the apps will soon be the norm. So, if you can spare some storage on your phone, downloading these apps will benefit your wallet a lot.