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McDonald's is cutting prices on some of its most popular combo meals, hoping to bring back customers who have stopped visiting due to rising costs.

Beginning September 8, the fast-food giant will bring back its Extra Value Meals at locations nationwide.

According to CBS News, the meals will include well-known items like the Big Mac, Sausage Egg and Cheese McGriddles, 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, and McCrispy sandwiches—each bundled with fries or hash browns and a drink.

For a short period, customers can enjoy deals such as a $5 Sausage McMuffin meal or an $8 Big Mac meal, though prices will be about a dollar higher in places like California, Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam.

The price cuts aim to tackle a big problem: low-income customers are visiting less often.

McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said on a recent investor call that traffic from households earning under $45,000 a year is down by almost double digits.

"Too often, if you're that consumer, you're driving up to the restaurant and you're seeing combo meals priced over $10," he said. "That absolutely is shaping value perceptions in a negative way."

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At one McDonald's close to the company's Chicago headquarters, a 10-piece McNugget meal is priced at $10.39.

McDonald's is not alone in this trend. Fast food traffic across the U.S. dropped nearly 1% in the second quarter, as more people chose to eat at home.

Rising inflation, higher labor and food costs, and pricing inconsistencies have made many once-affordable meals feel out of reach.

McDonald's says its average menu prices jumped 40% between 2019 and 2024, largely due to increases in the cost of labor, packaging, and ingredients, AP News reported.

The company faced criticism earlier this year when a viral post showed a Big Mac meal priced at $18 in Connecticut. McDonald's called it an "exception," noting that franchisees set prices at most US locations.

Earlier in the year, McDonald's rolled out promotions including a $5 Meal Deal and a buy-one-get-one-for-$1 offer. Those deals will remain active alongside the returning Extra Value Menu.

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