Right now, we’re all trying to figure out why eggs are so expensive. Egg prices have skyrocketed lately, and we all want to know where to buy cheaper eggs!
If you’ve been in a grocery store lately, you know how bad it is. Egg prices near me have gone from where I used to be able to get them for $0.86 per dozen to the average price being well over $5 a dozen right now.
And that’s when I can find eggs. A few times, I’ve gone to the store, and there have literally been zero eggs available in the store at all.
Why are eggs so expensive?
The avian flu outbreak is the biggest impact on egg prices
The biggest reason the cost of eggs have skyrocketed in price is the current outbreak of bird flu. This outbreak started in February of 2022, and it has impacted more than 57 million chickens.
The outbreak is still going on, and that simply means that there are fewer chickens to lay the eggs we all want to enjoy. When egg production goes down, you quickly see a surge in price.
The farmers can’t simply pull eggs from the chickens laying them to replace the chickens impacted by the bird flu either. They do not have the facilities, knowledge, or ability to raise chicks.
The avian influenza outbreak impacted egg-laying hens much more than it impacted chickens raised for meat, which is why the price of chicken hasn’t increased as much as the cost of a dozen eggs.
This will take time to recover the chicken population, and eggs are so expensive and will remain that way until the supply can meet the demand.
Demand for eggs is up overall
At the same time, holiday baking increased demand even more than normal. If you look over time, egg prices always increase around Easter and Passover, as well as the winter holidays already.
We all know that inflation has happened across the board, and that is also true for the cost of chicken feed and the energy costs it takes to care for them as well as the fuel costs to transport them. Those increases have led to an additional increase in the cost of a dozen eggs, as well.
As other foods like beef and pork get more expensive and people change their diets in general, Americans eat more eggs than they used to.
In addition to this, as Americans feel the impact of inflation, many eat out less often than they used to. And when they cook at home, they will need more eggs.
Prop 12 in California makes eggs more expensive
If you live in California, you have a double whammy. Prop 12 took effect January 1, 2022, and that required that cage free conditions for chickens, which makes eggs more expensive to produce.
No surprise, a carton of a dozen eggs can cost well over $7 in California currently.
All of this leads to my whine every time I go to the store, “Why are eggs so expensive?”
The cost of a dozen eggs has increased so much, but there are ways to not faint when you see the cost of a dozen eggs.
Where can I find the cheapest eggs near me?
Check your local warehouse club
The good news is that I have had luck in finding eggs for under the more than $5 a dozen that even Walmart now charges for a carton of eggs in my area.
The cheapest eggs near me by far are the five dozen eggs for under $15 at my local Costco store. Thankfully, we use a lot of eggs in my house, so I will absolutely use them before they go bad.
If you won’t, talk to friends and split the eggs and cost.
They also often have a three dozen pack that is also cheaper than grocery stores. Other warehouse clubs like Sam’s Club and BJ’s have similar options.
Or get some egg-spiration from me. Dutch apple pancakes, homemade chocolate pudding, hot ham salad sandwiches, and egg muffins are great ways to enjoy eggs with fun and easy recipes.
Backyard farmers are another great choice
If you can find backyard farmers in your area, they often have not increased their prices by as much as grocery stores have. And their eggs taste SO much better than grocery store eggs, so if you can find egg cartons for sale from them, you’re golden.
I can find local eggs for around $4 a dozen still, and I will happily take that.
Don’t count out specialty eggs – they aren’t always the most expensive anymore
Check out the eggs that used to be more expensive, too. While organic and cage free eggs and all the specialty eggs used to be significantly more expensive than conventional eggs, I noticed that those prices have risen much less quickly than conventional egg prices, and sometimes the specialty eggs have been less expensive than conventional eggs.
Go fig!
Liquid eggs are less expensive than eggs in the shell
Liquid egg substitute can also be less expensive than traditional eggs, as well. My mom has always bought the containers of egg substitute because it’s easier for her.
Three tablespoons of egg substitute equals one large egg, so a 32 ounce container is the equivalent of 18 eggs. When you can buy that for a little over $4, that’s definitely cheaper than a dozen traditional eggs.
It may not help completely, but at least you understand why eggs are so expensive now!
If you’re looking for what you can use instead of eggs, I have great ideas for egg substitutes in baking that will work for you.
