After a long stretch of relief at the dairy case, egg prices are climbing again, and grocery shoppers are feeling it at checkout.
A dozen large eggs that hovered near two dollars in many markets earlier this year have crept past three dollars in several regions, with some stores posting four-dollar tags for specialty or cage-free cartons.
The jump traces back to the usual suspects: bird flu outbreaks that force farms to cull entire flocks, plus higher feed and fuel costs working their way down the supply chain.
When a single egg-laying operation goes down, it can remove hundreds of thousands of birds from production overnight, and it takes months to rebuild those numbers.
Retailers are also dealing with the ripple effects of California's Proposition 12, which requires more space per hen and raises production costs for farms that sell into the state.
Producers spread it across their national pricing, so shoppers in Ohio and Texas end up paying part of the bill too.
Grocery chains have been reluctant to pass everything through at once, worried about losing customers to competitors.
But as wholesale contracts reset, those buffers are wearing thin.
Some stores are quietly shrinking their store-brand egg sections or pushing shoppers toward larger 18-count packs that look like a better deal per egg.
Here's where it gets tricky for households.
Eggs are one of the cheapest sources of protein you can buy, so when they spike, it hits budget-conscious families hard.
A family of four going through two dozen eggs a week is looking at an extra eight to fifteen dollars a month compared to last winter, depending on where they live.
If you're trying to stretch your grocery dollar, a few practical moves help.
Check unit prices instead of sticker prices, since a 12-count and an 18-count rarely scale evenly.
Look at the bottom shelf, where stores tuck the plainest and often cheapest cartons.
And don't sleep on liquid eggs or egg whites in cartons, which have held steadier on price than shell eggs.
Warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam's Club can be a win if you'll actually use two dozen eggs before they go bad.
Eggs keep for three to five weeks in the fridge, so buying in bulk isn't as risky as it sounds.
Just skip the wash-and-store routine and leave them in the carton they came in.
Food banks and community pantries are also seeing more demand as egg prices rise, since eggs are a staple for people stretching every dollar.
Some local co-ops and farm stands are selling direct at prices that beat the big chains, especially in the spring when hens lay more.
The bigger picture is that food inflation isn't done yet.
Eggs are just one of the items where shoppers are noticing smaller portions and higher tags.
Coffee, beef, and orange juice have all had their own run-ups this year.
The smart move is to keep an eye on the items you buy most and stock up when they dip.
Our take: egg prices will likely bounce around for a while, and pretending they'll drop back to 2021 levels isn't realistic.
The best defense is knowing your own numbers and being flexible about brands, sizes, and where you shop.
Final Thoughts
A few minutes comparing unit prices each week can save real money over a year.