How Rising Food Costs Are Impacting Easter Celebrations

Rising food costs are impacting more than consumers' weekly grocery shopping habits. In fact, according to a 2023 survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted by the team at FinanceBuzz, price hikes for items such as candy and eggs are expected to have an influence on how Americans will celebrate Easter this year. More specifically, the majority of respondents—approximately 72 percent—said rising costs will alter their holiday plans in some way.

Additionally, 43 percent of those surveyed noted that they would be looking for more sales than normal, while 24 percent of respondents said that they would be using more coupons than they typically do, and 22 percent of consumers said they’ll reduce the amount of candy put in Easter baskets.

In a continued effort to cut costs, another 20 percent of those surveyed said they will switch from real (expensive) eggs to fake ones, 16 percent said they'd likely cut back on food for their holiday meal, and 14 percent plan on having fewer guests over for Easter dinner. Lastly, 11 percent of respondents said they would ask guests to bring more food with them than usual, which would allow people to share costs. Conversely, only 28 percent of those surveyed said that they don’t anticipate any change in their Easter plans.

While not everyone celebrates Easter, the April holiday typically generates billions of dollars in food and candy sales, and is the second biggest candy holiday behind Halloween. Per FinanceBuzz, Americans spent an estimated $6.58 billion on Easter food in 2022, and approximately $2.6 billion worth of Easter candy is sold annually in the U.S. alone. Additionally, according to the National Retail Federation, U.S. adults spent an average of $169.79 on Easter overall in 2022.

How to Save Money on Easter

If you still want to host an Easter celebration, but don’t love those rising food prices, we’ve got some tips on how you can save money.

Use fake eggs

It’s no secret that eggs are expensive. Go ahead and buy a dozen to make deviled eggs, if that’s your thing, but consider using paper or papier-mâché eggs for decorating purposes instead of the real deal. Not only will this lead to less food waste since you likely don’t eat all those fancy eggs, but you’ll definitely save money too. 

Make it a potluck

Take a cue from the survey respondents and ask your guests to bring some food to the Easter celebration so the costs don’t fall solely on your shoulders. If you’d rather not request a main dish or side dish from your guests, ask them to bring an Easter dessert, batch cocktail, or even decorations.

Buy in bulk

Generally speaking, buying in bulk is a great way to save money, and it’s especially true if you’re entertaining a large group. Big-box stores like Costco and Sam’s Club have decent deals on hams and other proteins, as well as grains and dessert. And don’t forget about all that candy either! Costco has several reasonably priced sweet treats that can feed more than enough people.

Stick to a basket budget

While it can be easy to go overboard with those Easter baskets, do yourself a favor and set a budget for each one. This will help prevent you from buying treats or toys you don’t really need, while still keeping the holiday spirit intact. And if you’d rather not buy any Easter sweets, consider making them yourself.