How much would Kevin’s ‘Home Alone’ grocery list cost at a Kansas City store today?

Cortlynn Stark, The Sum
·3 min read

If you forgot your 8-year-old child at home in Kansas City to visit Paris for the holidays, could they survive? Definitely not off the $20 that Kevin McCallister took to the grocery store in 1990’s “Home Alone.”

At some stores in the Kansas City area, it’s three times more expensive to buy the same items.

A viral TikTok video broke down the cost difference between the total for Kevin’s shopping trip compared to today, finding it would cost 3.5 times more to buy the same products at the user’s local Target.

In the movie, Kevin buys the following items:

  • Half-gallon of milk

  • Wrappit! Plastic wrap

  • Stouffer’s Frozen Turkey Dinner

  • Snuggle dryer sheets

  • Wonder Bread

  • 4-pack of Quilted Northern toilet paper

  • Kraft Macaroni and Cheese

  • Plastic army figurines

  • Tide liquid laundry detergent

  • Half-gallon of Tropicana orange juice

After a $1 coupon for the orange juice, Kevin spent a total of $19.83.

How much would it cost to buy these same items at grocery stores in Kansas City? We did the math.

‘Home Alone’ groceries in Kansas City stores

If an item or brand wasn’t available, we priced a comparable one, instead.

Sunfresh:

  • Half-gallon of 2% milk: $2.79

  • Always Save plastic wrap 200 square feet: $2.39

  • Stouffer’s frozen cheesy garlic lasagna with meat sauce: $11.69

  • Snuggle dryer sheets - 80 count: $6.09

  • Wonder Bread: $3.49

  • 6-pack of Quilted Northern Ultra Plush: $10.09

  • Kraft Macaroni and Cheese: $1.25 (four for $5)

  • Hot Wheels: $1.39

  • Tide liquid laundry detergent 40 oz: $8.99

  • Half-gallon of Tropicana orange juice: $5.59

The total price before state and local taxes is $53.76.

Price Chopper:

  • Half-gallon of 2% milk: $2.75

  • Price Chopper plastic wrap 100 square feet: $2.69

  • Stouffer’s frozen lasagna with meat and sauce: $11.69

  • Best Choice fabric softener dryer sheets - 120 count: $4.69

  • Wonder Bread: $3.99

  • 6-pack of Quilted Northern Ultra Plus scented toilet paper: $9.99

  • Kraft Macaroni and Cheese: $1.59

  • Plastic army figurines: *We couldn’t find a comparable item.

  • Tide liquid laundry detergent 92 oz: $12.99

  • Half-gallon of Tropicana orange juice:$4.99

The total price before state and local taxes is $55.37.

Target:

  • Half-gallon of milk: $1.99

  • Up&Up plastic wrap 200 square feet: $1.99

  • Stouffer’s frozen lasagna with meat and sauce: $10.49

  • Snuggle dryer sheets - 120 count: $8.79

  • Wonder Bread: $3.53

  • Up&Up 12-pack toilet paper: $12.99

  • Kraft Macaroni and Cheese: $1.19

  • Hot Wheels: $1.29

  • Tide liquid laundry detergent 92 oz: $12.99

  • Half-gallon of Tropicana orange juice: $4.49

The total price before state and local taxes is $59.74.

Walmart:

  • Great Value half-gallon of 1% milk: $1.97

  • Great Value plastic wrap: $1.97

  • Stouffer’s lasagna with meat sauce: $9.84

  • Snuggle dryer sheets - 120 count: $6.97

  • Wonder Bread: $2.92

  • 6-pack of Great Value toilet paper: $7.38

  • Kraft Macaroni and Cheese: $1.12

  • Hot Wheels: $1.18

  • Tide liquid laundry detergent 92 oz: $12.97

  • Half-gallon of Great Value orange juice: $3.98

The total price before state and local taxes is $50.30.

What is The Sum?

The Sum is your friendly guide to personal finance and economic news.

We’re a team of McClatchy journalists cutting through the financial jargon so you know how these issues impact your life. We verify information from diverse sources and keep the facts front-and-center, making finance and economic news add up for you.

Ready to take the first step to getting your finances under control? You can sign up for our five-week budgeting newsletter at thesum.news.