SAN ANTONIO — The Easter holiday celebration is hopping up in price. Candy, meals, and certainly the star of Easter, eggs, all cost more this year.
Eggflation means making Easter eggs will cost a pretty penny, but there are ways to save and still enjoy the tradition.
“If dyeing and painting eggs is a tradition for you and your family that you don’t want to forgo, you can often get these blank slate eggs,” said Kristin McGrath, a shopping expert at RetailMeNot. “They’re usually made of plastic and they work with liquid dyes. Now, depending where you live, these might actually be cheaper than a real carton of 12 dozen eggs. We’ve seen them as low as $3, which you’re not going to be able to find a dozen eggs for.”
Or consider using fillable plastic eggs for Easter egg hunts.
“Yes, this is going to be an adjustment for some, but I really like the idea of instead of filling them with a lot of little individual-sized candies, have a set of prizes and then write the prize down on a slip of paper,” said Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst with Dealnews.com. “Stick that in the egg.”
Find both types of eggs at big box stores. While you are there, look for sales on Easter baskets, items to fill them with, and candy. Keep an eye out for buy one, get one offers. You can also check one other store for savings.
“The dollar store or the $1.25 store these days is a great shopping option as well for those Easter basket fillers,” McGrath said.
The Easter meal will also be pricier this year. If brunch is your custom, try making a meal at home instead of eating out.
“There's no need to go crazy," Ramhold said. "You can do something like a DIY waffle bar and just make a stack of waffles."
If Easter dinner is your tradition, consider a smaller ham this year. Or maybe a completely different, nontraditional main dish.
“If you’re finding that the prices just aren’t coming down and you’re kind of wondering what to do, change it up," Ramhold said. "Have an Easter lasagna instead of an Easter ham."
You can also wait until the last minute to grab Easter gifts, though the selection might not be large. Plus, after Easter, consider stocking up on items that are on sale for next year.