Despite barely being able to see over the shopping cart, little Kevin McAllister took to the grocery store in “Home Alone,” and the entire scene is one of the holiday movie’s most iconic. But rewatching the movie today, our ears perk up when the cashier tells Kev his total (less than $20!) for his cart full of goodies. No way would we be able to get that much for that little today!
One TikTok user even broke down the price differences on an item-by-item basis to estimate what Kevin’s haul would cost today, inspiring us to do our own analysis below. And let’s just say, if Kevin had heard his 2023 total at that cash register, we’d have been gifted a second, “Ahh!” scene.
Prices and availability are subject to change.
1. TV Dinner
Price today: $3.48 at Walmart
Kevin showed some serious maturity with this purchase. Most kids would have hit the candy aisle or grabbed every box of Little Debbie snack cakes and called it dinner. Even if they ventured to the frozen food section like Kev, they would have probably gotten sidetracked by the ice cream, never even noticing the TV dinners. Little McAllister wanted to ensure he had a balanced dinner, so he gave the ole TV dinner a whirl, even without a first-hand experience-driven recommendation from the cashier.
2. Loaf of Wonder Bread
Price today: $3.49 at Kroger
You can do a lot with a loaf of bread. Any kid left home alone knows how to whip up a PB&J, and a slice of bread with a bit of butter on it would go great with a TV dinner or some macaroni and cheese. It’s the perfect side dish!
3. Frozen Mac and Cheese
Price today: $3.17 at Walmart
If you’re a kid and your parents forget you as they travel across the globe, as they often do, it’s important to know your limitations. Boiling water is dangerous, kids. The microwave is a much safer bet. So, while young Kevin spent more money on a box of frozen mac than he would’ve on a boxed version, he saved himself a potential scalding (and provided a few for Harry instead).
4. Cling Wrap
Price today: $3.68 at Walmart
Booby traps don’t make themselves, you know. Kevin could have never coated Harry in feathers without cling wrap. An essential addition to his shopping cart.
5. Half Gallon of Milk
Price today: $1.62 at Walmart
Another must-have. We also applaud Kevin for choosing a half-gallon over a gallon. The bigger jug would have proven problematic to carry home. Although his bags gave out regardless, so there’s that.
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6. Half Gallon of Orange Juice
Price today: $3.98 at Walmart
Was Kevin just chugging juice for breakfast? We didn’t see him buy any foods best enjoyed in the morning. Maybe he was munching on leftover Little Nero’s. Cold pizza hits different in the morning, after all.
Related: The Absolute Best Way To Reheat Pizza Is Not In The Oven
7. Tide Laundry Detergent
Price today: $12.97 at Walmart
Was anyone else so proud of Kevin for conquering his fear of the furnace in his basement? He chugged right along and started doing his own laundry. Nowadays, he would’ve had to turn his dirty socks inside-out and wear them, though, because he’d blow the better half of his budget on Tide alone.
8. Toilet Paper
Price today: $6.98 at Walmart
Even kids know not to grab one-ply TP. Kevin tossed some Quilted Northern in the cart without a second thought. Imagine if “Home Alone” took place during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, AKA the Great Toilet Paper Shortage.
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9. Snuggle Dryer Sheets
Price today: $4.92 at Walmart
We’re calling BS with this purchase. Now, we know Kevin is smarter than the average kiddo. We couldn’t even come up with the booby traps he created, after all. But what kid, who must never watch his parents do laundry given his fear of the basement, would know to get dryer sheets to thoroughly do the laundry? We digress. At almost $5 a box, this purchase would get voted off the island if Kevin hit the grocery store aisles today.
Related: Do Wool Dryer Balls Really Work as Well as Dryer Sheets?
10. A Pack of Toy Soldiers
Price today: $5.44 at Walmart
“For the kids,” Kevin explains to the skeptical cashier. Iconic. We’re willing to bet that Kevin’s toy soldiers probably cost about $1 back in 1990, but if he was left home alone today, we probably would have been robbed of one of the movie’s best lines, because there wouldn’t have been enough in Kev’s wallet to cover the cost of these little green dudes.
The Final Breakdown
While the TikTok video that inspired us to look into the price differences of Kevin’s excursion to the grocery store between 1990 and today wound up at a much higher total amount, we came up with a total bill of $49.73.
That means today’s cost would be 2.5 times more than what Kevin shelled out at the store. He would’ve only been able to procure half his list!
When we plugged the original $19.83 total of Kevin’s groceries into an inflation calculator, we discovered that that same amount today is equivalent to about $45.60. Whattaya know, the toy soldiers were the tipping point after all.
