Robert Kaufman had written the script for "How to Beat the High Co$t of Living" in 1971–1972, and Kaufman (and then later with Jere Henshaw) had 20th Century-Fox, Warner Bros., and Universal Pictures, all interested in the project if he could land major, bankable stars. Kaufman and Henshaw could not get the film made until Henshaw was hired by American International Pictures as executive senior vice president in charge of production. The pair first made the financially successful "Love at First Bite", which gave them the green light to make "How to Beat the High Co$t of Living" with younger, lesser-known names.