It seems nostalgia isn't the only thing skyrocketing as TikTokers take a trip down memory lane, comparing the grocery shopping bill of 'Home Alone's' cunning kid protagonist, Kevin McCallister, to those in 2023. In a video that has now racked up 5.5 million views since its posting last month, Geoffery Lyons highlighted the cost leap, noting that the $20 grocery haul in the 1990 hit would hit nearly $70 if done today at Target, according to USA Today.
USA Today went on to critically assess Kevin's supermarket sweep, finding that the dash would dent your wallet by $54.94, sales tax included, in Illinois. They've even adjusted for couponing—a dollar off makes it $53.94 in today's money—because evidently, every little helps when you have to dig deeper into pockets pulled further apart by inflation. It's enough to make a grown adult feel like a kid left to defend their bank account.
The items in Kevin's solo haul, which span from a half-gallon of milk to a bag of toy soldiers, have seen some wild price hikes. Milk, for example, went from $1.34 per half gallon in 1990 to a creamy $4.85 for the organic choice today, according to the USDA and USA Today. Bread has followed suit, rising from 70 cents per pound to $1.70.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' inflation calculator spells it out: a dollar from 1990 is now worth $2.35. What's more, a recent Bankrate survey found that while a majority of Americans are indeed earning more than last year, their wage increases can seemingly not keep up with the inflation rate. The National Desk reported this troubling trend, with Bankrate Analyst Sarah Foster telling them that "prices are up around 16% since early 2021, and wages since that point are still lagging by around 3 percentage points."
Fox San Antonio engaged its viewers in this cost conversation, stirring up sentiments like those from TikTok user Ryguy11, who lamented, "$100 bill is the new $20 bill." Fox San Antonio captures the bite of inflation that's more severe than a booby trap laid out by an 8-year-old for pesky burglars. McCallister's fictional ordeal aside, it's the real-world pinch that's proving to be the bigger adversary for today's consumers.
