Home Alone fans shocked after discovering how much Kevin’s supermarket trip would cost in 2023
It’s that time of the year again, granting you full permission to indulge in a back-to-back marathon of the Home Alone classics. By “classics,” of course, we mean the first two films, because, well, let’s not delve into the subsequent ones.
Despite over three decades passing since Macaulay Culkin’s memorable solo adventure, the 1990 masterpiece has proven timeless. However, there’s one aspect that hasn’t stood the test of time – the prices.
During his solo stint at the McCallister residence, young Kevin learns self-reliance, taking on household chores, confronting the furnace, and even embarking on a significant shopping spree. In a legendary scene, the eight-year-old dashes through a local store gathering essentials for the house: TV dinner, Wonder Bread loaf, frozen mac and cheese, cling wrap, half a gallon (2L) of milk, Tide laundry detergent, toilet paper, half a gallon (2L) of orange juice, a pack of army men, and some dryer sheets.
In the movie, this haul costs him just over $20, reduced to $19.83 with a dollar coupon. Fast forward to 2023, and TikToker Geoffrey Lyons crunched the numbers on a similar list of items, revealing a staggering 248 percent markup over the decades.
“So, I broke it down: $4.50 for the orange juice, $4.50 for the saran wrap,” Lyons explains. “TV dinner: couldn’t find the same one, so we did $5 for that one because it had the food inside. $13.00 for the Tide. $3.00 for the Wonder Bread. $3.50 for the frozen mac. $4.60 for the milk. $8.79 for the dryer sheets. $8.00 for the toilet paper, and just $9.00 for the toy soldiers.”
Summing it up, the total comes to a whopping $63.73, or $68.99 with tax, minus the $1 coupon, rounding it to $68.
Unsurprisingly, the video triggered plenty of reactions, with viewers astounded at the contemporary costs. “For reference, $19.83 in 1990 would be equal to about $46.68 today,” one person explained. “So it’s not just inflation. Things are way too expensive now.” Another sighed, “I hate 2023.”
