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Egg Prices Are Soaring Again. Here Are 5 Ways to Save

Shopping around, buying in bulk and other strategies can help cut costs

By

Donna Fuscaldo,

 
AARP
Comments
Published October 10, 2024
a basket of eggs and eggs arranged in rows on a blue field
Getty Images

Here we go again. After weeks of declining prices, egg costs are rising, up nearly 40 percent year-over-year as of the latest Consumer Price Index. That is even as food prices overall are only 0.4 percent higher as of September.

Much of the increase in egg prices can be attributed to an avian flu outbreak that U.S. farmers have been battling for two years. The ebbs and flows of the outbreak require large-scale culls of birds, which Michael Pearce, deputy U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, says pushes down flock sizes and drives up egg prices. As of Oct. 4, over 100 million birds have been affected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The outbreak is occurring at a time when there’s typically an increase in egg demand, as students go back to school and cafeterias stock up on eggs, people focus on healthier eating and seasonal baking commences. “The price of eggs is affected by many factors, including consumer demand thanks to diets like KETO, inflation and, most notably, the bird flu, which has been making the rounds since early 2022,” says shopping expert Trae Bodge.

The good news is if eggs are a staple in your household, which they are for many older adults, there are ways to save.

1. Shop around

Finding big sales on eggs, especially when there is more demand than supply, is tough, but shopping around could lead to savings. You can check out egg prices at a few local grocery stores and purchase accordingly. There are also apps like Flashfood, which partners with grocery stores around the country to help them sell items that are in surplus or are nearing their “sell by” date. Bodge says eggs have been discounted by 50 percent on the app recently. Similar apps include Imperfect Foods and Misfits Market.

2. Buy in bulk

eggs in cartons
Getty Images

This strategy could make sense if you cook eggs for your family regularly, since Bodge says the per-egg price is often cheaper when you purchase them in bulk at a warehouse club store. To make them last longer, keep your store-bought eggs in the fridge in their original carton on the coolest shelf. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the shelf life for eggs is three to five weeks if properly stored.

3. Tap government programs

Food insecurity is a big problem for many older adults. According to an AARP Public Policy Institute report, about 10 percent of Americans ages 50 and older faced the threat of hunger in 2022.​To combat that, the federal government operates the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Formerly known as food stamps, the program provides eligible individuals with monthly benefits to purchase groceries at participating supermarkets and farmers’ markets. To be eligible for SNAP, your monthly income must be less than 130 percent of the poverty line in the U.S.

The Senior Box Program is another federally funded assistance program for adults 60-plus with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty level. With this program, you can get a box of food, which includes eggs, for free once a month. The food is purchased by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which works with local nonprofits to distribute the boxes.

4. Consider a substitute

Eggs are a great source of protein and are a must-have for bakers, but if protein is what you’re after for breakfast, consider tofu, cottage cheese, peanut butter or yogurt instead, as these items are typically cheaper than eggs. There are also egg substitutes that cost less. “If you bake, eggs can easily be replaced by a mixture of flaxseed meal and water,” says Bodge, “especially in many cookies and sweet breads, like banana bread.”

5. Stick to store brands

Many supermarket chains have store brands that tend to be cheaper than household names, and that’s true of eggs. At Walmart, for example, an 18-count package of Eggland’s Best eggs costs $5.12, while Walmart’s Great Value brand eggs are $3.93 for the same count.

Donna Fuscaldo is a contributing writer and editor focusing on personal finance and health. She has spent over two decades writing and covering news for several national publications including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Investopedia and HerMoney.

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