TOLEDO, Ohio — You've probably seen on social media, a viral TikTok comparing the cost of the grocery trip Kevin makes in the movie "Home Alone" to today's prices.
In the movie that came out in 1990, Kevin paid $19.83 cents for about ten items. The viral post claims the same list would cost about $70 today, if the items were purchased at Target.
The claim caught the attention of Debbie Lisk. She is the food pantry coordinator for Lutheran Social Services of Northwest Ohio in the Old West End.
"I was laughing because it's so true. Even when I go to the grocery store, I'm thinking 'oh my goodness it's so significant, just the difference between last year and this year,'" Lisk said.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' inflation calculator, $19.83 in December 1990 has the same buying power as $45.62 in October of 2023. So it appears it's true, your dollar doesn't stretch as far as it used to.
Lutheran Social Services is seeing that in a growing number of people coming in asking for help.
"It continues to grow each month. Right now we serve approximately 350 families a month," Lisk said. That compares to about 150 to 200 families this same time last year.
So in this season of giving, Lisk is asking folks to consider making a donation to the food pantry.
"Even just bringing a bag of groceries. Cereal or crackers or things, that people just throw in their cart mindlessly, those are things that we can really use," Lisk said.