Eggs are Getting Ridiculous Again
By Jim Bauer
@porwest (87450)
United States
September 9, 2024 10:14am CST
I was able to pick up a dozen eggs at Ruler Foods on Saturday for $1.89 a dozen, which is not good, but it's been "about normal" lately. Since there were some items Ruler was either wrongly priced on or out of, I decided to stop by Aldi to make up the difference, and saw their eggs were $3.77 a dozen.
That's OUTRAGEOUS!
I know there have been many issues plaguing the egg industry lately and that's part of the reason for some of the inflated prices. But when eggs got to those levels before, I simply stopped buying them, and will do the same if those prices become common everywhere else.
I simply refuse to pay the price.
13 people like this
11 responses
@LindaOHio (174213)
• United States
9 Sep
And the avian flu continues to ransack the chicken population. Have a good week.
3 people like this
@LindaOHio (174213)
• United States
10 Sep
@porwest Hmmmm. I didn't know that chicken prices weren't up.
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (35548)
•
10 Sep
@LindaOHio
Chicken isn’t cheap here. It’s not as much as red meat, of course, but it’s not a bargain by any means. The cheapest way to get chicken here is to buy a whole rotisserie chicken, which really makes no sense since they cook it for you, but whatever.
2 people like this
@Beestring (14349)
• Hong Kong
9 Sep
Here, the cheapest I can get is $2 for 10 eggs. Imported from Japan.
3 people like this
@porwest (87450)
• United States
10 Sep
@Beestring So I have heard. Then again, don't chickens just run wild there? Can you catch one or raid a nest or something and get some eggs that way? lol
1 person likes this
@porwest (87450)
• United States
20 Sep
@akalinus I mean in cases like that, it is something that at least makes sense from a supply and demand perspective. It's not unfair to ask more if you have less to give or when you have lost millions of dollars in crops you can't harvest and sell.
I mean, think about it. You have an item at a garage sale and 10 people want it. Who do you sell it to? The lowest bidder or the highest one? One guy says he'll give you $10 and the other says he'll give you $100. You're taking the $100. lol
1 person likes this
@Fleura (30016)
• United Kingdom
18 Sep
@akalinus Food prices here have gone up a lot over the past few years, some things more than others. For example for a long time butter was about 70p a block and now it's about £2.30. That's more than three times the price! It's a combination of many factors. For a long time food has been unrealistically cheap. Many dairy farmers went out of business as it was uneconomic to keep going, and sold their land for building. So of course if there are not enough producers the price will be higher. Then the minimum wage was introduced and has just been increased, fuel prices are high which of course affects distribution of everything, costs of production such as animal feed, fertiliser etc have all gone up too. Now it feels like a big shock but in reality prices should have been higher before and then much of this would not have happened.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (35548)
•
9 Sep
I am so lucky that I have a friend who brings me fresh eggs every week. We barter back and forth but we are good friends so it works. I bake for her and she thinks it’s a perfect swap. I have to cook anyway so it’s an easy swap.
3 people like this
@MarieCoyle (35548)
•
10 Sep
@porwest
Her hens are laying big time right now...she just brought me 3 dozen huge, fresh brown eggs a little while ago. We don't always barter, because we are good friends. But I try to have something for her. Times like today, she decided I would use the extra ones if she dropped them off, and she was right. I am going to make some homemade noodles for the freezer.
1 person likes this
@LovesEverybody (3462)
•
9 Sep
what is a decent price for eggs? My sister bought me eggs last week but did not tell me the price. But the way she buys sometimes (and it hurts my heart) I could totally see her buying the $3.77 dozen ones from Aldi.
I would never buy anything like eggs while they are at that price.
Come to think of it I think she stopped by Aldi.
Isn't Aldi supposed to have everything cheaper? She adores the aisle of special non-food items!
3 people like this
@porwest (87450)
• United States
14 Sep
@LovesEverybody I simply avoid recipes that would call for eggs.
1 person likes this
@porwest (87450)
• United States
10 Sep
It depends on how you define "decent." For about two years before this inflation hit I was buying a dozen eggs for under a buck. Now I would consider $1.49 to under two bucks "high, but decent." Anything over $2 and I don't buy them.
Aldi is MOSTLY cheaper. But like any store, not on everything. No matter what, you have to know your prices to know if something is a bargain or not.
1 person likes this
@LovesEverybody (3462)
•
12 Sep
@porwest If you used to buy them under a buck then I can understand why you wouldn't buy them for over $2. What do you do if you have a recipe that requires eggs and eggs are $2+
You are right about not everything in the store is cheaper. I find that Walmart's Great Value brand went way up in price, however, that brand is still cheaper than most other brands. Unless the other brands are a deeply discounted sale.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82308)
• United States
10 Sep
That does sound outrageous for a dozen eggs. I wouldn't pay that price either. I'm so tired of having to go from store to store for pricing. It's become a full time job just to get a weeks groceries without breaking the bank
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82308)
• United States
11 Sep
@porwest I admire your ability to manage your money and not spend impulsively. There are times when I just say 'the heck with it" and buy an item in the store I'm at when I know it's cheaper somewhere else. I don't do it often because I'm retired and have to watch my pennies too.
1 person likes this
@porwest (87450)
• United States
13 Sep
@Marilynda1225 Making sure to watch my pennies early on is what allows me to not HAVE to pinch them now. I pinch them because I choose to. Having money is about making every penny count, not wasting it, saving and investing it wisely, and never taking it for granted.
I will never understand that many people cannot put together these two things. "I struggle because I don't have enough money," and "I don't care if I spend more than I have to every once in a while." lol.
The reason people ever have money issues, severe or not, is BECAUSE they don't take the time to make sure they keep more of it. If money is spent it's value is zero. If money is saved it's value is virtually limitless.
Not only could I retire early at 50 BECAUSE of how I dealt with my money. I am also able to ENJOY it. It's not about saving 2 cents now. It's knowing if I DO save it, it's worth 3 1/2 cents tomorrow.
Just my two cents worth. But if you heed the advice here, it MIGHT be worth 3 1/2 cents to you at some point in the future. lol
@porwest (87450)
• United States
11 Sep
I have always shopped this way anyway. From store to store. I go to who has the best price and time my shops according to what's on my list and who has the best price. Not a penny gets wasted in my house. Not one. Ever. No matter the economy.
But yes, this inflation has really taken its toll on the bottom line for everyone. It's just nuts anymore. I am back to eating more casseroles and soups to spread the dollars as much as I can, even though money is not an issue for me.
@dgobucks226 (35328)
•
21 Sep
I have been noticing grocery food prices creeping back up again too. In spite of what is being said in the media or by this administration, inflation still remains sticky and will remain so until policy changes are permanently reversed regarding the oil industry.
I try to play a waiting game hoping they need to have a sale to rid themselves of excess inventory from shoppers unable to afford that price. Sometimes it works and I load up on that product.
1 person likes this
@porwest (87450)
• United States
22 Sep
Eventually on a lot of this stuff there IS going to be a breaking point, I think. Many people do not have the convictions I do to simply refuse to buy things if I don't like the price. Granted, you can't do it with everything. But I do it wherever I can, and when it comes to eggs, while I love them, it's something I can live without if that needs to be what happens.
At the end of the day we still get to vote with our wallets, and you are right...if certain things don't leave the shelves, they will have no choice but to bring the price down or write off the losses when they are forced to throw it away.
1 person likes this
@JimmyDeen (238)
•
19 Sep
A buddy of mine drove a mile or so buy eggs cheaper. By the time I use up gas, I might as well pay the price. Talk about inflation
1 person likes this
@porwest (87450)
• United States
21 Sep
The "gas I will use" idea is one I have debunked multiple times. If we're talking a few cents, it's not worth it. If we're talking $1, it is. Consider the average vehicle gets at least 15 miles per gallon. Gas is averaging around $3.50. It will cost you 23 cents to drive one mile. If the eggs are $1 cheaper a mile away, you still save 77 cents by traveling the extra mile to get them.
To save money, math has to be your best friend, and while doing the calculations seems pointless, if it saves you money to know the true cost of the savings and distance traveled...it is time well spent.