Challenge Butter, the flagship brand of Challenge Dairy Products, is celebrating the start of National Breakfast Month by sharing fresh insights on American breakfast habits.
In a recent survey commissioned by Challenge, 1,000 respondents revealed that breakfast is not just the most important meal of the day—it’s the most beloved, with Americans enjoying it at all hours, morning, noon, and night.
“Breakfast has always been more than just a meal—it’s a moment of comfort, joy, and optimism,” said Priya Kumar, VP of Marketing at Challenge Dairy.
Nearly all those surveyed prefer the comfort of home-cooked breakfasts, with most choosing to prepare their morning meals in their own kitchens rather than opting for grab-and-go alternatives.
The survey also highlights America’s weekend breakfast preferences, with pancakes and waffles reigning supreme for 64% of respondents. Not far behind, 65% of respondents favor savory options like eggs and omelets, proving that both sweet and savory breakfasts hold a special place in our hearts.
But the love affair with breakfast doesn’t end at sunrise. A staggering 86% of respondents enjoy breakfast for dinner, transforming traditional morning meals into comforting evening delights.
Regardless of respondents’ partiality towards a sweet or savory breakfast, butter is at the top of the minds of survey respondents. Almost 77% of respondents add butter to their omelets when cooking them. When it comes to pancakes, 71% of respondents put butter between each pancake when perfecting their morning stack. Yet only 22% put butter on top of their pancake stack.
Whether it’s perfecting your 16-step omelet or adding some flavor to last night’s cuisine, Challenge Butter is the perfect kitchen fundamental when it comes to celebrating National Breakfast Month.
Additionally, 574 participants “sometimes” cook/eat breakfast at home instead of eating out or grab-and-go. The vast majority, 899, put butter on their toast, and 767 add butter to their omelets when cooking them. And Americans were pretty split on what their favorite weekend breakfast was, with 644 voting for eggs/omelets and 652 for pancakes /waffles.
This article originally was syndicated by MediaFeed.org. (Challenge Dairy is farmer-owned, all-natural and made with real milk.)
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Eggs Cost The Most (& Least) In These States
The average cost of a dozen eggs in the U.S. is $3, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Though higher than in previous years, it’s still lower than the $4.82 consumers paid on average in January of 2023, when concerns about egg shortages sent the cost of eggs skyrocketing.
Why does knowing the cost of a dozen eggs today matter? If you’re trying to manage your household budget, then keeping food costs as low as possible might be a priority. Where you live can play a part in determining how much you’ll pay for a dozen eggs.
namaki / iStock
On average, Americans are paying $3 for a dozen Grade A large eggs, based on the BLS data. That price reflects the most recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) data available as of February 2024. The CPI Consumer Price Index tracks prices for a basket of consumer goods and services over time.
In tracking egg price data, the CPI looks at average numbers by city, rather than state. Prices are based on the cost of a dozen eggs only and don’t take into account pricing for smaller or larger quantities of eggs sold, or pricing for different sizes of eggs. The CPI’s egg price data offers a snapshot of how egg prices have moved up or down over time. While prices increased sharply in the beginning of 2023, the average cost of a dozen eggs has since declined. Whether you live alone or are supporting a family, these types of fluctuations can impact your grocery budget.
It’s important to keep in mind that average reflects all prices from high to low, while median reflects the middle price. Median prices for eggs or other consumer goods and services may be higher than the average price.
Snezhana Kudryavtseva/istockphoto
If you’re interested in what is the average cost of a dozen eggs by state, you might be surprised at just how much prices can vary from one location to the next. The following table breaks down the average cost of a dozen eggs in all 50 states, according to pricing data from Instacart collected in December 2022. Note that the figures below were captured during the egg shortage, when prices were high, and may not reflect the latest CPI price data.
RightOne/istockphoto
Cost: $6.12
tagphoto/istockphoto
Cost: $4.61
Poravute/istockphoto
Cost: $6.03
Sanny11/istockphoto
Cost: $4.95
Cavan Images/istockphoto
Cost: $6.05
arfo/istockphoto
Cost:$5.77
miwa_in_oz/istockphoto
Cost: $5.54
Elena Rycova/istockphoto
Cost: $4.79
Davi Piaia/istockphoto
Cost: $4.58
chas53/istockphoto
Cost: $6.36
Gugu Mannschatz/istockphoto
Cost: $5.96
sergeyryzhov/istockphoto
Cost: $9.73
andresr/istockphoto
Cost: $5.09
valentineandreev/istockphoto
Cost: $4.82
Sergii Kolesnikov/istockphoto
Cost: $4.33
Tomophafan/istockphoto
Cost: $4.44
AlexPro9500/istockphoto
Cost: $4.41
Ricky Herawan/istockphoto
Cost: $4.51
Igor Vershinsky/istockphoto
Cost: $5.59
Anna Kim/istockphoto
Cost: $5.84
Hleb Usovich/istockphoto
Cost: $4.78
David Tran/istockphoto
Cost: $5.20
Mikhail Dmitriev /istockphoto
Cost: $4.82
toeytoey2530/istockphoto
Cost: $5.10
Madeleine_Steinbach/istockphoto
Cost: $5.04
grafvision/istockphoto
Cost: $4.24
sasapanchenko/istockphoto
Cost: $5.46
Derkien/istockphoto
Cost: $4.25
TATIANA DOLGOVA/istockphoto
Cost: $6.07
JIE GAO/istockphoto
Cost: $4.91
golubovy/istockphoto
Cost: $5.05
fotogal/istockphoto
Cost: $5.65
Liudmila Chernetska/istockphoto
Cost: $5.37
Dmitrii Bereznev/istockphoto
Cost: $5.60
ANATOLii SAVITSKii/istockphoto
Cost: $4.83
Anna Kim/istockphoto
Cost: $4.39
8thCreator/istockphoto
Cost: $4.92
penkanya/istockphoto
Cost: $4.81
ahmet rauf Ozkul/istockphoto
Cost: $4.52
Traimak_Ivan/istockphoto
Cost: $5.10
simpson33/istockphoto
Cost: $5.76
Yana Tatevosian/istockphoto
Cost: $5.00
Poravute/istockphoto
Cost: $5.61
Liudmila Chernetska/istockphoto
Cost: $5.43
Sanny11/istockphoto
Cost: $5.67
Sanny11/istockphoto
Cost: $5.70
dusanpetkovic/istockphoto
Cost: $4.96
margouillatphotos / iStock
Cost: $4.91
Kuvona/istockphoto
Cost: $4.64
kuponjabah/istockphoto
Cost: $4.78
louisdumont/istockphoto
Cost: $5.84
Tverdohlib/istockphoto
As evidenced by the price data, some states are more expensive than others when it comes to what you’ll pay for a dozen eggs on average. In descending order, here are the 10 states that had the highest cost overall for a dozen eggs:
- Hawaii
- Florida
- Alabama
- Nevada
- California
- Arizona
- Georgia
- Wyoming
- Maine
- Colorado
In each of those states, shoppers paid $5.70 or more on average for a dozen eggs. Hawaii is the most expensive state to buy eggs, with the average cost of a dozen eggs nearing $10.
thawatpong/istockphoto
Where is the average cost of a dozen eggs the cheapest? Shoppers paid the least for a dozen eggs in these states:
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Indiana
- Ohio
- Kansas
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Pennsylvania
- Alaska
- West Virginia
In these states, the average cost of eggs was below $5 per dozen. As you can see, most of these states are located in the central, southern, and eastern U.S., though Alaska is the outlier. Assuming food costs are lower overall in these states, the average grocery budget for a family of 5 is likely to be less compared to the states where eggs are more expensive.
Svitlana Hulko/istockphoto
The spike in egg prices that peaked in 2022 was largely fueled by scarcity. An outbreak of avian flu sent egg production into decline as more than 43 million laying hens were lost to the disease or depopulation efforts. With fewer eggs in supply but demand not easing, egg prices began to rise. Prices began to decline as egg inventory increased following the end of the outbreak.
Prices began to decline as egg inventory increased. However, the ongoing outbreak and strong demand have helped keep prices high. Inflation can also be pointed to as a contributing factor to rising egg prices. In simple terms, inflation is a rise in prices for things consumers buy, like eggs and other household items. Knowing how to find the inflation rate and what’s considered to be a normal range matters for making the most of your money.
When inflation is higher, everything costs more and your money doesn’t go as far. A difference of a few cents in the price of a dozen eggs might not seem like much. But when everything else is going up in price too, and inflation doesn’t appear to be easing any time soon, it can take a serious toll on your wallet.
warrengoldswain/istockphoto
According to the CPI data, egg prices have declined from the peak they reached in January 2023. While eggs are more expensive than they were a couple of years ago, relief might be on the horizon. In its food price outlook, the USDA predicted that egg prices would drop 2.8% in 2024.
Monitoring prices for different goods and services can help you stay on top of your budget. Making and sticking to a spending and savings plan is one of the most basic steps for building wealth and increasing your net worth. Being able to measure your liquid net worth can give you an idea of how well you’re doing financially when it comes to accumulating assets and paying down debt.
Tetiana Shustyk/istockphoto
Shopping for eggs on the cheap can save you money and make it easier to live below your means. Living below your means benefits you in a few ways. For one thing, you may be less reliant on credit cards to cover expenses if you always have extra cash in your budget. And for another, it can make it easier to adapt to economic changes that can affect your budget and spending.
With that in mind, here are a few quick tips to help you pay less for eggs.
- Shop the farmer’s market. Buying eggs locally from a farmer’s market vs. a supermarket could save you money if you’re able to find lower prices. You may even be able to work out a barter or trade with a local farmer or neighbor who has a backyard flock, which could allow you to get eggs for free.
- Choose store brands. Store-brand products, including eggs, typically cost less than name-brand ones. If you’re not partial to any one egg brand, you may save a little money by choosing your local store’s brand.
- Buy eggs in bulk. Buying in bulk could save you money if you’re paying a lower unit price per egg. But the catch is that you have to be sure you’re actually going to use them all; otherwise, you could be wasting money.
- Use fewer eggs. A simple way to save money on eggs is to not consume as many. For instance, you might opt to get your daily protein from other sources or swap out your favorite baking recipes for ones that don’t incorporate eggs.
- Shop with coupons and cash back apps. Couponing may seem tedious but supermarkets make it easier by allowing you to load digital coupons to your store loyalty card. You can pair coupons with a cash back app that pays you a percentage back when you shop at partner grocery stores, which can add to your savings.
Techa Tungateja/istockphoto
The average cost of a dozen eggs might not be something you think about on a day-to-day basis. But knowing how much you’ll pay for eggs matters when it’s time to go to the grocery store and do your weekly shopping. Keeping an eye on egg prices and implementing some different hacks for finding cheap eggs can help you keep your food budget in check.
This article originally appeared on SoFi.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org
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