She bought every item from Kevin's iconic grocery list and compared them to today’s staggering prices

It’s no secret that grocery prices have increased significantly in recent years. But comparing a grocery run from the '90s to one today highlights the astonishing price rise. To illustrate this, Jennifer Lapinski—who goes by @themistressmelt on TikTok—bought the same items as Kevin McCallister in the classic Christmas movie "Home Alone." Thirty-four years have passed since McCallister's 1990 grocery run, and the prices bear testimony to the same.

"Kevin McCallister's shopping list: Kevin's solo trip to the grocery store in 1990 cost him $19.83. What will that cost in 2024? Let's find out," Lapinski mused at the start of the video. "The first stop is the bread aisle," she said. In the film, Kevin buys a large loaf of Wonder Bread. "Wonder Bread is not sold in the 50-mile radius of where I live, so I am forced to substitute with a 'Butternut' large worth $2.89," Lapinski revealed. Next on the list was a half gallon of whole milk. "The milk cost us $2.99," she stated. "Right across the aisle is Kevin's Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice. It was on sale for $2.50." She then moved on to the frozen food aisle.

The single serving of Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese came to $3.79, and the roast turkey dinner supreme was priced at $4.99. A pack of "Quilted Northern" toilet paper cost $7.99, while the "criminal catching clip wrap" was priced at $4.49. A bottle of Tide detergent was $15.99, and dryer sheets were priced at $4.19. McCallister’s tiny toy soldiers were hard to find, so Lapinski replaced them with chocolate penguins priced at $3.99, dubbing them "the valiant soldiers of the animal kingdom." She added, "Poor Sally has been struck down with carpal tunnel, so I am forced to check out alone," referencing the check-out worker from the movie. The "2024 total" for the same set of items came to $55.99, compared to McCallister's 1990 total of $19.83.

The video received nearly seven million views and over 439k likes, sparking a lively discussion in the comments section where viewers shared their thoughts on the price difference and the impact of inflation over the years. @nivix_fox wrote, "The price of goods has increased at a higher rate than the average median income, not to mention the extreme increase in rent/mortgage prices squeezing people harder now." @1richard_cranium commented, "According to the 'inflation' calculator, that should be $45.62 today. So the extra $10.37 is corporate greed."

@natethebillsfan remarked, "If the toilet paper, laundry detergent and dryer sheets weren't so unbelievably expensive, it would be a lot more reasonable." @gary.zel expressed, "As the movie was fictional, so is the amount of money they wrote down for the groceries. So, you can't compare fiction to reality." @tootallmgee shared, "That's not bad. He went into a mom-and-pop store, which would have been marked up as well. So the items are only a little over double in twenty-some years, meh, lol." @timo_el_supremo disclosed, "$19.83 was worth the equivalent of $48.79. It's not that much of an increase when you look at it that way. It's just inflation that's the problem."

You can follow Jennifer Lapinski (@themistressmelt) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.