From Scrambling Tofu to Renting Chickens: 5 Hacks People Are Using to Avoid High Egg Prices

As egg shortages worsen and prices for a dozen approach the $5 mark, you may be wondering if it's even worth it to buy them anymore.

The average price of Grade A eggs was $4.95 per dozen in January, according to the latest government data. Prices have jumped 15% from their December average of $4.15 because bird flu cases keep cropping up, requiring farmers to cull whole flocks and drastically reducing the nation's supply of eggs. The eggs you buy in the store, when cooked, are generally safe to eat, but that doesn't mean they'll be cheap.

Prices could still get worse before they get better. A forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts a 41.1% increase in egg prices 2025. The agency reports that 18.8 million egg-laying hens were lost last month, the highest yet since the outbreak began.

As prices continue to rise, some shoppers are saying enough is enough. But here are five ways Americans are getting around the high cost of eggs:

Shopping around

Higher prices and local shortages mean there's more price variation from one store to another. You may see $4 cartons one day but $7 ones the next time you're shopping somewhere else.

Consumers are being more deliberate about where they shop for their eggs, and neighbors are even helping each other out by sharing pointers in city-specific subreddits and Facebook groups for where to find the cheapest eggs.

Given that eggs can last over a month in your fridge, some shoppers are buying more eggs than usual, however, experts warn that this "panic buying" trend may lead to shortages and more inflation.

Buying liquid eggs

At your supermarket, you may see that liquid eggs — pasteurized and sold in cartons with an even longer shelf life — are cheaper than shell eggs. For example, Lucerne's 16-ounce egg cartons are available for as little as $2.99 at some grocery stores.

A carton of that size equals about eight eggs. While savings may not be huge, it may worth doing a comparison if you don't mind switching to liquid eggs. While they're not as fresh, certain grocery shoppers find them more convenient.

Cooking without eggs

On social media sites, users are sharing their distaste with grocery stores' egg prices and saying they refuse to pay these record amounts.

Some folks who can't find affordable eggs are cooking egg-free meals at home and using substitutes for recipes that call for eggs. To capitalize on the trend, food publications have released roundups of egg-free recipes for dishes like tofu scramble and edible cookie dough for readers to try while the cost of eggs is high.

Prices for egg-based meals at restaurants and diners have also increased, so you may find that other menu options offer better value. Denny's is the latest chain to add a surcharge for all meals with eggs (at some locations), following a similar move by Waffle House earlier this month.

Buying vegan egg substitutes

Companies including Eat Just, which makes the plant-based product Just Egg, have reported booming sales for their vegan egg alternatives. In a news release last week, the company said it's growing five times faster than it was at this point last year, noting that "Just Egg’s key ingredient, the mung bean, is not susceptible to bird flu and the inflationary pressures driving egg prices to record levels."

Vegan egg alternatives are still pricey, however. A 16-ounce carton of the Just Egg product is usually well over $5.

Raising backyard chickens

If you have space in your backyard and your family eats a lot of eggs, you may be wondering if it's time to get chickens. You're not alone: According to ABC7 San Francisco, for example, Mill Valley Chickens, which sells chickens and chicken coops, has seen a 50% spike in business in recent weeks.

Building a coop and raising chickens can be cheaper than buying eggs at the store, but you have to be willing to make the initial investment and take on the work of caring for them. The largest expense, the coop, will likely cost over $300 even if you just want a relatively basic setup for 6 hens, which will typically lay a dozen and a half or two dozen eggs per week, assuming they're young egg-laying hens.

Bigger chicken coops can cost thousands of thousands of dollars to build. Beyond the coop, there are the costs to buy heat lamps, chicken feed and other supplies.

Hesitant about owning chickens? Rent the Chicken is a company that will loan you two hens and a small chicken coop for half the year. It markets itself as a way to try out having chickens before making a long-term commitment. While the cost is high, $495 or more depending on the market, the service is getting more popular — and it frequently sells out.

More from Money:

Best Credit Cards

Why Are Eggs So Expensive Right Now — and Will They Get Cheaper?

7 Things Getting More Expensive in 2025