In Memphis grocery aisles, breakfast is cutting you a break while dinner is coming for your wallet. Local shoppers are seeing egg prices finally cool off from last year’s spike, even as ground beef and a few pantry staples keep marching higher, forcing households to rethink what goes into the cart.
According to WREG and its price tracker, the same 23-item basket cost $111.27 in the first week of February 2026, up from $106.88 in the same week of 2025. The tracker shows eggs averaged $1.98 a dozen in February 2026, roughly 53% lower than a year earlier, while ground beef averaged $7.37 per pound, the highest price the tracker has recorded. WREG also flagged a 25.9-ounce canister of Folgers coffee at about $15.05, nearly 20% higher than a year ago.
National picture: cooling in some areas, pressure in others
Those Memphis swings fit into a bigger national pattern. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the food-at-home index was up about 2.1% year over year in January 2026, so grocery totals are still creeping higher for many families. And the USDA Economic Research Service projects eggs and some dairy prices will ease in 2026, even as red-meat prices, particularly beef, are expected to stay under upward pressure.
Local expert: plan ahead, pick generics and watch sales
Dr. Chris Sneed, an associate professor and consumer economics specialist with University of Tennessee Extension, told WREG that shoppers can soften the blow by "plan[ning] meals in advance and use a shopping list to avoid impulse purchases." WREG also notes Sneed pointed to input costs, weather and tariffs as factors that can ripple into retail prices. Sneed's role and outreach work are described by University of Tennessee Extension.
How shoppers can stretch a grocery budget
The basic tactics still work, even in a choppy market. Compare unit prices instead of just grabbing the familiar label, swap expensive cuts for cheaper proteins like chicken or eggs, buy store-brand versions and stock up on nonperishables when they go on sale. That approach lines up with the USDA ERS outlook and UT Extension guidance on balancing short-term needs with longer-term budgeting. For households that track prices weekly, timing purchases and leaning into sales can mean the difference between an uncomfortably high bill and a manageable one.
As 2026 gets underway, the picture stays mixed. Eggs and some dairy items are easing, but beef and brand-name pantry staples can keep totals stubbornly high. Keep an eye on sale cycles at Kroger, Target and Walmart, the stores WREG monitors, and check local trackers for the next update.
