When I did the math I realized we were spending (easily) $32 a month to keep ourselves flush in our t.p. of choice. That's $384+ a year that literally went down the toilet. I didn't think much about it really. I mean we needed toilet paper, so I bought toilet paper. I didn't think that this might be an area where we could save money.
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The problem I have with toilet paper math is that it's subjective. People make the numbers fit their objective—or they make their numbers fit their feels. "Look how much money I saved! I did the math and *this* is the best!"
Truth is, toilet paper is a personal thing. Some people will only buy the quilted 2-ply stuff, where others might think that extra ply is just overkill.
And the t.p. companies all hit you with their "size marketing." They now all compare their rolls with the mysterious and disappearing "single rolls." Unless you're buying t.p. at the dollar store, it's hard to find those nefarious "single rolls" anymore because most companies don't make 'em—or they've rebranded them. These days, they make Big rolls, Double rolls, Mega rolls, Super Double rolls, etc.
And then there is the theory that *Amazon* is the cheapest place to buy t.p. Of course, most of the bloggers suggesting this are using affiliate links to bring in income—so, take that with a grain of salt (also available on Amazon).
All snarkiness aside, I wanted to figure out the math behind some of these "best toilet paper deals," and while I don't have the energy to figure out every brand and every product, I figured I'd take a look at some of the products these bloggers are heavily suggesting.
First up, the blogger that insists that the best deals on toilet paper are Cottonelle and Angel Soft bought in bulk via their Amazon affiliate link.
I know, I can hardly believe I'm talking about this either.
But here's how their toilet paper breaks down (heh) when you actually go to Amazon:
1. Cottonelle Clean Care Toilet Paper
I didn't find the above listed t.p. in a 32 pack costing $15.96 on Amazon. Prices change. Products change. I get it. No bigs. So, I did a search on Amazon for "Cottonelle Clean Care Toilet paper, 32 count." No luck. What I *did* found was a "36 family rolls" version.According to the Cottonelle website, they offer t.p. in the following sizes (none of which are the equivalent to a "single" roll, btw):
- Big Roll: 150 sheets per roll, 1-ply
- Double Roll: 190 sheets per roll, 1-ply
- Family Roll: 250 sheets per roll, 1-ply
- Mega Roll: 380 sheets per roll, 1-ply
Cottonelle Clean Care T.P., 36 ct—$20.79 (864 sq. ft.)
The package states that 36 family rolls equal 86 single rolls—but again, this is a marketing ploy, as there are no single roll option with which to actually compare the product.
- Subscribe and save was available for this product. At 5% off, it brings the price down to $19.75
- I didn't find an eCoupon for this product.
- Price per "family" roll (which is not quite 2x the size of their smallest roll) = 55¢
- Price per square foot = 2¢
Basically, your average price of t.p.—even with the discount, it's neither the most budget friendly nor the most expensive.
2. Angel Soft—Double Rolls
I tried to find the square footage per roll on the Angelsoft.com website, but no luck. Thankfully, someone on Amazon knew. They state the square footage for each of the different sized rolls:
- Angel Soft Big Roll: 25 sq. ft.
- Angel Soft Double Roll: 264 sheets per roll, 2-ply—29.3 sq. ft.
- Angel Soft Mega Roll: 44.4 sq. ft.
Angelsoft, Double Rolls, 48 count—$21.99 (1,406.4 sq. ft.)
The link the blogger sent me was defunct, so I had to find other sellers offering the product.
- No subscription service available
- No eCoupons available at the time of this posting.
- Price per "double" roll = 46¢
- Price per square foot = 2¢
Because I don't trust the "double" roll definition as being twice the size of a regular roll, I don't feel the cost breakdown warrants dividing the price any further. Besides, it's the square footage price that is the truer marker of cost.
Generally, as crazy as it sounds, anything costing 2-3¢ per square foot is an average price for toilet paper. Above that, you're paying too much, and anything costing less than a cent per square foot is on the frugal side.
To figure out the cost per square foot simply divide the price by the square footage. If you have a coupon, deduct the price of the coupon before dividing by the square footage. It's really that simple.
Toilet Paper Price Book
I compared prices from 4 of the more budget friendly U.S. sources. I would have included Target, but they were almost ALWAYS more expensive. So you'll have to do your own math there. I didn't include stores like Meijer or BJs, because not every U.S. region has these stores. Again, you'll have to do your own math.
| Product | # of Rolls | square feet | Store | Price | Price per sq. ft. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FRUGAL OPTIONS |
|||||
Scott 1100 1-ply
|
36
|
4150.8
|
CostCo
|
$20.89
(in store)
$33.49 (online)
|
$0.005-
$0.008
|
Scott 1100 1-ply
|
36
|
4150.8
|
Sams Club
|
$20.88
(in store) $23.28 (online) |
$0.005-
$0.006 |
Scott 1000 1-ply
|
27
|
2829.6
|
Walmart
|
$16.97 (online)
|
$0.006
|
SEMI-FRUGAL OPTIONS |
|||||
Scott 1100 1-ply
|
36
|
4150.8
|
Amazon
|
$34.12
|
$0.008
|
Pom 2-ply
|
45
|
2365.0
|
Sams Club
|
$19.98
(in store) $24.96 (online) |
$0.008-
$0.01 |
Georgia Pacific Professional
2-ply |
80
|
4937.6
|
Amazon
|
$45.14
|
$0.009
|
Kirkland Signature
2-ply
|
30
|
1593.7
|
CostCo
|
$21.99
|
$0.01
|
Members Mark
2-ply |
45
|
1467.8
|
Sams Club
|
$21.23 (online)
|
$0.01
|
AVERAGE OPTIONS |
|||||
Kirkland Signature Ultra Soft 2-ply
|
30
|
1039.2
|
CostCo
|
$24.99
|
$0.02
|
Cottonelle Ultra Comfort Jumbo 2-ply
|
45
|
1264.5
|
CostCo
|
$25.99 (online)
|
$0.02
|
Scott Tube Free
|
24
|
667.2
|
Amazon
|
$13.99
|
$0.02
|
Angel Soft Ultra 2-ply
|
60
|
3000.0
|
CostCo
|
$53.79 (online)
|
$0.02
|
Angel Soft PS Premium by GP
|
40
|
2000.0
|
Sams Club
|
$35.86 (online)
|
$0.02
|
Quilted Northern Ultra Plush 3-ply
|
30
|
948.7
|
CostCo
|
$24.99 (online)
|
$0.03
|
Charmin Ultra Strong Mega Roll
|
16
|
536.0
|
Walmart
|
$14.97 (online)
|
$0.03
|
Charmin Ultra Strong Double Roll
|
48
|
804.0
|
Amazon
|
$26.65
|
$0.03
|
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