During your annual rewatching of “Home Alone” this holiday season, you may be blown away by one scene in particular. It’s not any of the crazy hijinks between eight-year-old Kevin McCallister and the burglars trying to get in his house, it’s the one at the supermarket, where the kid buys an impressive amount of groceries for less than $20.
In the 1990 movie, the boy shows some responsibility by grocery shopping for himself, and he’s able to get 10 items for just $19.83. That’s an incredibly low total, even though it was 34 years ago, and it makes many viewers wonder how much those same necessities would cost now. And thanks to new research, we have an answer.
Based on prices from the Schnucks grocery store's website, this is how much Kevin’s groceries would be today:
- Half a gallon of milk: $1.89
- Half a gallon of OJ: $3.79
- Butternut large white bread: $2.89 (Wonder Bread not available)
- TV dinner: $3.99 (Stouffer's classic meatloaf frozen meal)
- Frozen mac and cheese: $3.69
- Tide liquid detergent: $12.99
- Saran wrap: $2.99
- Bounce dryer sheets: $6.99 (120 count)
- Toilet paper: $8.39
- Toy soldiers (not available, so Amazon price listed): $7.49
- That adds up to a grand total of $58.54 in 2024, or $57.54 after applying Kevin’s $1-off coupon. That’s an increase of 190% in 34 years.
Source: USA Today
Scott's Thoughts:
- You can hardly buy a jug of Tide for less than $20 these days!
- 190 % increase since 1990. Wow. I can guarantee most incomes have not increased 190% since 1990.
- I feel like I spend a hundred bucks each time I walk into the grocery store.