Dear friends,

Waffle House has always held a soft place in my heart. After my dad passed away when I was 12, my mom worked long hours running the family business. As a result, cooking at home wasn’t always an option. Many nights, we ate out—and Waffle House was one of her favorites. She loved their hash browns. Scattered, smothered, covered—you name it. It was affordable, comforting, and always open, which made it perfect for a mom trying to juggle work and raising a son.

So when I saw the recent news that Waffle House had to start charging an extra 50 cents per egg due to the national egg shortage, it brought back those childhood memories I thought about my mom, carefully managing our budget while running the family business, and how something as small as an extra 50 cents per egg could add up quickly for families with little financial cushion.

I’ve always loved Waffle House eggs because they’re consistent, affordable, and—most importantly—I don’t have to cook them. But if you go to a Waffle House today, you’ll likely see a sign warning customers about the price increase.

It turns out, the bird flu has devastated the poultry industry, with over 145 million chickens culled since 2022 to stop its spread. The result? Egg prices have soared, hitting $4.94 per dozen last month, and the USDA predicts another 20% increase this year. For perspective, egg prices rose by 10.4% in February alone. 

You might be wondering—if there’s an egg shortage, why haven’t we seen the price of chicken rise as dramatically? The answer lies in the lifespan of different types of chickens. Chickens raised for meat, often called “broilers,” have a short lifespan—just a few weeks. Meanwhile, egg-laying hens have a much longer lifespan, meaning when they’re wiped out, it takes far longer to replace them. That’s why the price of eggs has skyrocketed, while chicken meat prices have remained more stable.

And if a struggling family tries to save money by switching to cereal instead of eggs? The price of cereal has jumped just as much—rising from around $6 to nearly $10 per family-sized box since the pandemic. To make matters worse, manufacturers have shrunk the box size while charging more, a trend now widely known as "shrinkflation."

I don’t blame the businesses for this—they’re facing rising costs themselves. But for ALICE families (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), these seemingly small price hikes aren’t just an inconvenience. They’re another financial pressure point in an already fragile budget.

While inflation has faded from the headlines, its impact is still hitting families hard. Demand for food banks is skyrocketing. Credit card debt is at record highs, and more Americans are making only minimum payments. Auto loan delinquencies are spiking to levels not seen since the Great Recession.

And yet, despite this week's volatility, the stock market has boomed over the past five years. AI is making life more convenient for many. The unemployment rate is relatively stable. But the problem is, ALICE families aren’t feeling the benefits of this economy the way others are. For them, it’s not about a stronger 401(k)—it’s about making sure they can afford breakfast tomorrow.

That’s why we do what we do at United Way of Central Georgia. Our mission is to help ALICE families gain financial stability and to keep them from slipping into poverty over something as simple as a rising grocery bill. Because for too many families, it’s not just an extra 50 cents per egg. It’s another crack in the fragile foundation they’re trying to stand on.

When I think back to those Waffle House nights with my mom, I remember more than just the food. I remember the warmth of the restaurant, the kindness of the waitresses who always seemed to know her order, and the sense of normalcy it gave us in an uncertain time.

That’s what stability feels like. That’s what we’re fighting for.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can help struggling ALICE families in our community, contact me at gmccanless@unitedwaycg.com.