I was wondering, what is a good price for toilet paper? I usually get the kind from Sam’s Club but lately their quality has really gone down. -Katie
Truth be told, I was able to get free 4-packs of Cottonelle toilet paper for so long that now that that deal is no longer available, I’ve been struggling to come up with a good toilet paper deal. I’ve purchased some from Aldi and also got a mega package for free with a gift card to Alice.com while holding out hope another free or almost-free toilet paper deal will surface sometime soon.
Aldi toilet paper is anything but quality toilet paper, in my opinion, but it works in a pinch when the deals are sparse. It is priced at around $0.25 per roll, so I’d consider any quality toilet paper priced at less than that to be a pretty good deal. However, free is always my favorite price when it comes to toilet paper. 🙂
What’s your stock-up price for toilet paper and where do you find the best deals on it? Help me out here!
Crystal-You mentioned you frequently get free toilet paper. How did you obtain free toilet paper?
I don’t have time to read all the comments, so I don’t know if this has been said yet…but I’ve been told (and I agree) that you shouldn’t look at 2-ply, single-ply, double roll, bulk pack, number of sheets, etc., when pricing TP.
You want to look at the total square footage of whatever package you’re buying. It always says right on the package. And a good price is $0.01/square foot. And, that’s actually a tough price to find w/o really looking.
I got a great deal on Angel Soft a couple months ago at Wal Mart…it was on sale and I had coupons, so i actually got it for a bit less than $0.01/sq ft. Believe me, I stocked up!
I’m still mourning the loss of the free Cottonelle…that was actually good TP. Angel Soft isn’t bad, though.
I associate price with brand. For Angel soft it has to be free or less than .25 cents per 4 roll package. It just does not last long the rolls in the 4 packs are small.
I normally get Quilted Northern6 double or mega rolls because they go on for 1/2 price around 2.18 and several times there have been $1 mq out at that time so I have a large stock pile I got for 1.09 -about .18 per roll but they are large so they last. I can not seem to find the deals locally on other brands.
I do the Marcal deal too, even the $1 off if you get their smaller roll 4-pack, you get all 4 rolls for .29. With the $2, I get four double rolls for .39. So I try to snatch up those coupons whenever I see them. Locally though (Florida), I can only find them in Sweetbay. Thank goodness I work there!
$1 for 4 single roll pack or $2 for 4 double roll pack, etc is our target price. (25 cents a single roll) and we prefer Cottonelle and/or Charmin and no off-brands. TP is a major expenditure these days. lol.
we’re brand loyal to costco’s kirkland tp. used to use marcal or angel soft, but i like kirkland better. price doesn’t matter if you’re making other family members happy. ditto for paper towels- bounty plain white. hubby doesn’t like the “cheap” stuff that doesn’t hold up well when wet.
Well….. as long as we are discussing tp. I learned a great tip from my veterinarian (of all people). We have a tp-shredder cat. She loves to unroll it and make confetti. He recommended squinching the rolls (yes, that is a medical term…. squeezing the rolls so the cardboard tubes aren’t round anymore) so she can’t unroll it as easily…. turns out that makes my kids use less as well. Who knew??
I like to get free toilet paper from Earthfare. I’ve found that I get free or $1.00 off coupons for Marcal Small Steps at Eathfare the single rolls are priced at $0.89 so they come out to free just pay the taxes on it. So I stock up whenever I’m there which is about every two weeks or so because of all of the other great coupons that Earthfare puts out. Hope it helps some out there.
Kirkland in our area is 18.99 for 36 rolls. 425 2-ply sheets per roll, 15, 300 sheets which equals .0012 per sheet. They figure to .53 ea and are 53.1 sq. ft….so that figures to .o1/sq. ft. How can you find anything cheaper than .o1/sq. ft??
I get mine $.88 for a 4 pack at Kroger….its decent quality too !
I don’t have anywhere around me to buy the Marcal 4-packs. I happened to catch a deal on the 12-double roll packs at Dillons last week. Sale of $5.99 (with card), with the $2 coupons, for a purchase price for 460.6 sq feet of $3.99. I figured it up and that’s $.009 a sq foot. I haven’t tried them yet, but I bought 4 packs, so I hope I like them!!
I ordered a bunch of the free Marcal Small Steps toilet paper coupons from http://www.couponsthingsbydede.com. She doesn’t have a limit on how many you can purchase for $0.20 a piece. So if you buy 30 of them, which shipping it averages out to like $0.23 a roll…which is a good deal. I like the stuff, so getting it for that cheap is nice for me (my local wal-mart carries the single rolls)
TP is one area where we have chosen not to settle for cheapest brand. We use Quilted Northern and nothing else. I brought home some Cottonelle when the deals were going on and it just wasn’t acceptible to the family. So Northern it is. I have the Sam’s price written down and if I can beat it with coupons at another store, I stock up there. But about half the time I just pick it up at Sam’s. Their price has been really good in my area, beating the price at other stores even with coupons.
I usually try to get below .15 for a single roll. Using sales and coupons, I not too long ago got some Charmin for that price. It was exciting. I usually have to figure out how many single rolls are in the mega or super or whatever rolls, but it keeps the math the easiest for me.
I always wait until Food Lion has the Cottonelle 12pk double roll for $4.99 on their stock up sale. What a great price! When they run the sale, it’s Friday through Sunday. There usually is a limit so I go back several times.
I really like the Charmin Basic (the orange package) and it often is on sale at Target for the 36 mega rolls for $10. This is good stuff, not too hard, not too soft, nothing left behind, septic safe, no lotions/perfumes, etc. Use the charmin coupons in the P&G insert (.25-.50) and sometimes a Target coupon. Sometimes even a gift card deal with buy 2 packs, get a $5 gift card–that’s my favorite!
I used to get it at the comissary for $1 for a 4 pack minus the .25c p&g coupon so 75c or less, but I got out of the military, so this is the best I get.
I always buy the Aldi brand and like it very much. Are you buying the small 4 pack or the large 12 pack? I buy the large and have never been disapointed. I don’t like a real thick tissue and we have a septic system so I feel Aldi brand is best for both issues. Sometimes the dollar store has sales that are good but for everyday I will stick to Aldi!
The Aldi “compare to Scott” is 12 rolls for $5.79, it’s 1200+ square feet. Best deal I’ve found and the rolls last a LONG time.
I buy the 36 mega roll pack of Costco’s Kirkland brand. It is currently $21.99, which is $.61/roll, but these rolls are double. They have 425 sheets per roll.
I only buy Scott tp, because it is the only kind that doesn’t clog the pipes in our older home. I will say, though that one roll of it lasts TONS longer than a roll of other kinds of tp. I generally try to get a 12 pack (1000 sheet rolls) for 6$ or less.
I ALWAYS stock up on toilet paper when Walgreens runs their sale of the Big Roll for 2/$1. You are only allowed 3 to 4 rolls at a time I just usually make a few stops a week or go to different Walgreens in one day and stock up. It is the cheapest I have found that last (where you don’t have to change the roll every other day). Hope this helps! 🙂
Tons of great advice – Thanks! I have always hated standing in the TP row at Walmart with my kids running in 3 different directions and trying to figure out what’s the best deal! I usually give up, grab the biggest pack I can find quick, and get the heck out of there!
I try to get regular Scott toilet paper for $.50 per roll.
I have to say I haven’t “paid” for toilet paper in over a year! It is one of the first items I buy when I make any kind of profits at WAGS. I was able to really stock up this past January when the Bayer meters were on sale and I had coupons. $13 profit for every two meters allowed me to purchase a whole lotta toilet paper, tissue, coffee filters, all sorts of non-perishable items I would not normally be able to get free. I can afford to buy the nicer toilet paper too.
I also calculate the price by square foot. Double rolls are not actually double the size of a regular roll and every brand varies.
Check out my post:
http://savingsaints.blogspot.com/2010/02/tock-up-worthy-price-on-toilet-paper.html
Toilet paper is an item with varying price at all my local Walmart supercenters. My favorite prices the Northern 24 DOUBLE rolls at $9.88 — that’s $42 per double roll, which would be like $.21 per single roll. In contrast, the other metro locations are $14.88 for the same package.
I’ve always read (Heloise, etc.) that $.25 per roll is a good stock-up price.
Melissa
I don’t have a “stock up” price for toilet paper. I buy the CVS brand no matter what the cost is. It is what my family likes and IMO, toilet paper is one thing you just don’t want to scrimp on. LOL
As a teenager, I complained to my mother that we didn’t use the “fancy” toilet paper, and I wanted to change. (We used Scott.) When out on my own, I quickly realized why my smart mother purchased Scott–it lasted so much longer when compared to “fancy” brands! Yes, it’s thin. Yes, you need to use more. If your finger pokes through, USE MORE! Even when using more per visit to the restroom, it does not compare to the other brands. I respect anyone who has a personal preference and doesn’t want to change. However, if you’re looking to save more on bathroom tissue, why not try it for a few weeks?
I usually only get Cottonelle though I will get White cloud or any other really good deal toilet paper for the second bathroom. To me personally, if you are paying in RR or ECB, etc and are not getting them back, I don’t consider that to be a “good deal”. But about once per year, CVS usually does a really good deal on the huge 20 pack of double rolls where after sale, coupon, and ecb, it comes out to less than $8 each (less $.40 per double roll) so I always take advantage of that. Between that and the occasional good deals on small packs of other brands, we get stocked up.
I wish the stores around here carried the Marcal small steps products because our area does get the coupons in the paper but I searched and the only thing carried is at Kroger and only the large paper towel packs. No individual paper towels and no sizes in the toilet paper or tissues 🙁
I am with you. Free is my favorite price. I was fortunately able to stock up on a good bit when we could get it free. Nowadays it seems like I am able to get 4 rolls for $.50, and it is a bargain. I am hoping that the free toilet paper comes around again soon.
Target internet coupons hs1.00 off 8 pk. Scott and 1.00 of ANY Northern 12 pkg or larger..I prefer Scott over all but this online coupon is only one I’ve seen since I used all mine these last couple of weeks. gotta buy something soon down to last two rolls. OUCH!
Thanks for Marel site for store locator. The only store listed in my area is Krogers but I’ve looked there and didnt see it. I just called to ask if they planned on getting it in.. But of course just sat and held till I gave up. Will just wate till i shop again and find someone to ask./
I’ve stopped shopping for a price per roll, because some 24 rolls will have 300 sq ft, others 600 sq ft. My theory is that as long as the TP is average-exceptional quality that we will use the same amount, regardless of the brand. So, I shoot for less than $.01/sq ft. Watching Walgreens and Target I’ve been able to find it for this price.
Scott tissue we find is best for our septic tank and a pregnant woman. However the regular kind rarely has coupons.
I aim for .35 cents a roll using leftover RR or ECB’s.
It was my final purchase using the Huggies/Dove’s Men Care deal at Walgreens last week. I had a 3.00 RR and the Scotts was on sale for 6.99. So 4 bucks for a 12 pack.
Not bad.
In the past I’ve tried every type of toilet paper trying to get what was on sale, but a couple of years ago I started watching how quickly it all disappeared. I had coupons for Scott 1000 so I bought it and timed how long it lasted. It lasted a LOT longer than the other brands and I figured I’d be saving money in the long run by using it. It took a little while to get used to it, but like anything else, it seems natural now. Last week I got another 12 pack at WAGS with their Family & Friends sale. I had a coupon and used RR to buy it. I do that at CVS too. Whenever I get my ECB’s up to a decent level, I stock up on paper goods and cleaning supplies. I try to keep a couple of the 12 packs of toilet paper in reserve and not have to worry about running out.
These posts have been very educational! I’ve got to check out these free deals! Meanwhile, I have always purchased TP at Costco. It is $17.99 (up from $15.69 a year ago) for 36 rolls. That comes out to .009 cents per square foot. I have compared prices at Walmart and it seems to be the best in our area (Reno, NV).
Another Scott (extra soft) family here! When I can get TP free or nearly free, we will use that brand, but since the Cottonelle deal dried up, we’ve pretty much been all Scott.
I buy it when it is $6 per 12 pack or less and usually have coupons. My whole top shelf of my bedroom closet is stuffed with TP right now from the last Scott sale.
I’ve been buying the cheapest kind at Aldi recently (4-pack for 0.89 each), and so far, they have worked for us. I used to spend 15 dollars a month on toilet paper to get the soft kind (because I got used to the soft Cottenelle that we got for free!), but now I realized that it doesn’t really matter to us. I always will pull out the same amount of TP, no matter the softness. So the Aldi brand really works for us in terms of saving money.
My target price for a 12 double roll pack is 3.99. This gives me plenty of stockpile that would last for 3 plus months and keeps me from overbuying. I buy any brand at this price-the brands that are not really my favorite I pass to my college kids. They don’t care what kind they have as long as they don’t have to pay for it. Food Lion and Bi-Lo are were I most often find this price.
I am in South Carolina, and we don’t have an Aldi or a Meijer. 🙁 When all else fails, I use the White Cloud and Angel Soft coupons on the 4-6 packs at Wal-Mart. The price is usually around .20-.25 per roll. Don’t forget about your coupon overages wen you are shopping for other items… Publix always presents opportunities for overages. They also accept competitor’s coupons… Overages are always a great way to pay for other items! 🙂 I hope I’ve helped! xoxo
I live in St. Louis. At Shop and Save recently, I was able to use $2 off Marcal First steps, combined with a $5/12 rolls sale, and a $10 off a purchase of $50 or more store coupon and a $5 off $50 Entertainment book coupon. I also had a $10 off catalina. I got between 6 months – 1 years worth of toilet paper (10 / 12 packs) for $6.56!
I just read a frugal tip to pinch the toilet paper roll before putting it on the holder. This prevents it from rolling so easily and therefore conserves the amount you use.
I just wait for tp to come on sale AND earn ECB at CVS and try to work the deal that week to get it free. I usually have to lose some ECB to do so, but we need tp, so that’s how it goes 🙂 I haven’t had to pay real money for tp for a long time! Although, sometimes the Northern 6 pack of double rolls go on sale at meijer for $2 — with a $1 off coupon, it’s only $1. I’ll pay real money for that 🙂
This is one thing I will pay money for, I love coupons but we only use Angel soft in our house for one reason. We have a septic system and it is the safest for septic systems. So I usually get it when walgreens has it on sale, but this is one thing I can’t buy cheap.
I also used to buy the Sam’s Club t.p. and noticed that when the packaging changed so did the t.p. I even wrote the company and e-mail about the change in quality. Their reply was that the supplier for their “charmin” type toilet paper was no longer availiable to meet their supply or something along those lines and that they had replaced it with their “Northern” type toilet paper in the markets that they need to. Try emailing them … maybe if they get enough complaints they will re-evaluate what they are putting on the shelf with their name on it.
Right now, CVS has Cottonelle 12 double rolls for $5. There is a 50 cent coupon on cottonelle.com you can print. I though that was a good day for 12 double rolls.
@lorie, do you know if it is generating extra care bucks as well?
About a year ago I bought two lots of coupons for Marcel small steps off ebay and spent $3-$4 on coupons and have been using it ever since. I was buying a Woodman’s which at the time had the four pack of single rolls. They have since stopped carrying the size that matched to well with the coupons and have been using any Marcel coupons I have on boxes of tissue. I am not sure what I am going to do when my stockpile tries up.
I also like Scotts and the Wag tissue in the single roll (which I sometimes buy for .50 when I need filler to get a bigger Wags deal to work correctly) .
Last year I bought a bunch of 7th generation paper towels on clearance and I had $1/2 coupons that were double so I ended up with 10 rolls for free. We use very few paper towels and I still think we have 7 or 8 left.
I like to buy the Marcal Smart Steps TP…when it is on sale for $9.99, I use the $2 off coupon. It lasts me a good month, if not more.
We’re a Scott family. I am brand loyal because it lasts forever on the roll! The only time I ‘buy’ anything else is if it is free! Personally, though, I was glad to have the free Cottonelle end because I hated it, but felt like I had to use the free toilet paper.
I get coupons for $1 on White Cloud..it can be used on TP or Paper towel and you can get the 4 pack of dbl rolls for $1.
okay, can someone work the math for me…i only have aldi and walmart in my area (must drive 45 minutes for anything else). I am loyal to Scott Tissue because the roll is so big but it is costly – 75 cents a roll. If others are cheaper but i use 3-4 rolls for one roll of scott, what’s the better deal? I suppose I need to do an experiment – buy the cheap stuff (4 rolls) and buy the Scotts (4 rolls): how long it takes to use up each and then discover what costs less.
@Barb, Look at how many sheets are on a roll. The package should say. Then divide that by the cost. For example, if you buy a package of Cottonelle (4 rolls) for 2.00, that’s .50 per roll. How many sheets on the roll? Divide that into .50. Do the same for Scott. Then you know which tp is cheaper.
@Elisabeth, Sam’s has Scott a 30 pack for about 18 bucks, so that might be the cheapest for you.
Scott 1000 – usually on sale from Walgreens, sometimes Meijer.
I would love to read more posts like this. Those of us new to couponing don’t always know what a “good deal” is on certain items. I’d love to read a post about “good deal” prices on a variety of items.
We are very brand loyal when it comes to TP. It’s the only item that I won’t compromise on. I buy Cotonelle. I do try to find it as cheap as possible, but I usually end up paying a heafty price for it. It never seems to go on sale around here. But, I have tried other brands and I really don’t like them.
I’ve been getting the Free Marcal SmallSteps for so long now that I don’t think I am prepared to deal with this “conversation”. *covering ears*
I have a difficult time finding quality toilet paper, but I do well buying the Sam’s Club brand (it’s better than the leading brands. Really soft). Yes it’s more pricey but I don’t have to buy for about 2 months! I saved about $350 a month in coupons, and splurge a little at Sam’s (maybe less than $50 for the things I need on a regular basis).
I’ve stopped buying the premium toilet paper because I discovered that it comes at the expense of old-growth trees. Meanwhile, recycled toilet paper can be surprisingly soft, like White Cloud Green Earth. I had a $1.00 off coupon and got 4 rolls for about 1.00 after the coupon. Also, Marcal always has coupons and I have gotten good deals on their products too (in our area that brand is found at Hy-Vee).
If the issue of how your products are made is important to you, here’s the NY Times article pointing out environmentally costly ultra soft TP is:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/science/earth/26charmin.html?_r=1
@Aiming4Simple,
I’ve heard about this recently too. Kleenex has also been made from very old forests. I’ve decided to try to only buy the 100% recycled stuff from now on. Softness and cheap toilet paper isn’t worth the destruction of these forests. I’m also considering trying family cloth, at least for part of the time. I plan on using cloth diapers and wipes when we have a baby, so why can’t I use cloth too?
@Alice, I didn’t know about Kleenex. Thanks for alerting me. As the primary shopper in our family, I want to make responsible choices that align with my values.
Forget the toilet paper, and get a bidet!
(just kidding . . . )
Since thin toilet paper needs to be folded over more thickly, and since some “discount” rolls are so small that they disappear quickly, I’ve come to think that toilet paper should be priced not by the roll but by weight. Anyone willing to try weighing rolls of different brands and posting a price per ounce?
@Bill, A man after my own heart! Thin TP is especially tragic when a finger pokes through. lol Somehow I don’t think you actually save any money when you use more to compensate for quality.
I’ll stick to my favorites: Charmin Ultra Strong and Cottonelle. I will skimp in other areas (laundry soap, cleaners, etc.) but I draw the line at cheap TP.
I too prefer to buy my toilet peper at CVS when they have the bonus packs. Combined with coupons and paying with extra cash bucks I was able to purchase three 16 packs and still receive money back. Also whenver a store has a fantastic deal, I stock up.
My husband prefers quilted northern – but when we were getting the free TP at Kroger’s he “settled” for that. 🙂 Now that it is gone, we watch for sales on quilted northern. Last time it was 50% off at Meijer – $2.13 for a 6 (double) roll pack, and I had $1 Q – so $1.13 for 6 double rolls. I stocked as much as I could (even without the $1Q was a decent price). He’s so happy that I’ll definitely do it again. Gotta keep my man happy! 😀
Great question! This is something I struggle with. First off, I draw the line at using cheap toilet paper – not worth saving a few bucks. The Aldi stuff is like sandpaper. My sister in law bought it once and they couldn’t even use all 4 rolls. So I use Charmin (ultra soft or ultra strong – they’re the same to me) or Cottonelle. Best deal I’ve gotten on that is Target’s $5 giftcard deal when you buy 2 charmin or bounty. Always get a huge thing of TP and a thing of paper towels. I always go by equivalent single rolls that’s usually on the package to compare prices, but never considered that the length of a sheet could be different from brand to brand. About a year ago, I got it for around 17 cents per single roll at Target. Lately they haven’t had such a good sale. I finally got close to running out and had to go out to Target and buy it yesterday (on sale, but no giftcard, did have a $1 off coupon from their mailer) for about 30 cents per single roll. I have the same struggle with paper towels, of which I will only use Bounty in the half sheet size. If I get cheap paper towels, I have to use three times as many – I can never figure out how to compare those because they have so many different size rolls.
I shop at mainly Meijer here in Ohio. About every other month Quilted Northern will go 1/2 price, and there’s almost always a $1 coupon available, making it $1.19 for a 12 double rolls 🙂
I haven’t been able to get free toilet paper in years. In Ohio where we live, $.30 or under is an excellent deal.
Scott tissue is our brand too. It lasts so much longer! We buy it in bulk at Costco.
If I can’t get a killer deal as mentioned above I buy my toliet paper at Costco. Their kirkland brand is $18.99 for 36 single ply double rolls. These rolls are HUGE and I find that they last twice as long what other brands consider a “double” roll.
We are pretty brand-loyal about TP. I only buy Cottonelle, unless I can get something for free or $.01 (Publix penny item). However, I time it so that I buy when a 12-pack (double rolls) is about $5 after coupons and sales. The most I will spend is $6, or $.50 per double roll. At that point, it’s the same price as getting the Angel Soft single-roll 4-pack at Wal-Mart for ~$1. It’s probably been two years since I’ve paid more than $.01 for anything other than Cottonelle.
I have tried the Marcal Small Steps, using the free roll coupons. I won’t do that again. They are single-ply, rough, poor quality. Yes, my family uses more toilet paper when it’s single-ply (sometimes more than double!) compared to two-ply. And it sticks like there’s no tomorrow! Try wiping out a toddler potty with that stuff . . . it gets stuck all over the basin. We’ll be sticking to the facial tissues with those free coupons–they were about on par with typical store brands.
I like the White Cloud brand from Walmart. A 4 pack is $2.oo I had $1.00 off coupons so paying a $1.00 for good quality tp was a deal to me. Unfortunately, I don’t see White Cloud coupons too often. When I do though, I try and stock up.
Thank you so much for posting my question!!! There are some really great answers to different brands! Can’t wait to start finding some great TP deals!!! :o)
I buy Wal-Mart’s White Cloud 4 pk double roll with the 1.00 off coupon you can get 4 double rolls for 1.00 so it’s like getting 8 rolls for 1.00. When I can’t do that, I wait for a mega sale and stock up. tp is expensive!
Shopping for TP is like shopping for a mattress. It’s almost impossible to compare without some kind of spreadsheet or computer program.
My husband has made one request of me over the years: no cheap TP!! This makes my life easy in the sense that I shop for one brand, and I keep track of the prices on this one brand. When I have coupons and see it on sale, I know I’m getting the best deal for my family. I get almost other personal care item for free, so I’m OK with spending a little on TP. Because, really, a happy husband is priceless!
Crystal, this is great food for thought!!! Hope you pose the same question about paper towels!!! They are also a challenge for me.
I know that prices are different everywhere but just to have an idea can you list ALL of your stockpile prices?
@Michele, Southern Savers as a “Buy Price List” posted at the following link. (You’ll have to click on the link for the list.)
http://www.southernsavers.com/2009/02/extreme-couponer-101-whats-a-good-price/
Sadly, I am brand-loyal to absolutely NOTHING……except toilet paper. And for that we buy Scots. We have a problem with tree roots getting into our lines and scots is the only brand I’ve found that doesn’t clog up the lines. I usually buy it when CVS has it on sale a 12-pack for 6.99 and I use a $1 coupon and try to match it with extra bucks. We’ve tried other brands but truly they’ll clog up our line!
@missie, If you get the Marcal free single roll coupons, try those. Just like the Scotts!
@Jaime, I’ve never heard of that! I’ll have to look into ! Thanks so much!
Great topic, I’ve been wondering the same thing!
I shop at Meijer which is in the Midwest. Every 2 or 3 months our stores run an unadvertised special on 6 packs of double rolled Northern and Cottonelle for about $2.50 per pack. I save all my $1 off Nothern and Cottonelle coupons and wait for these specials. To me $1.50 for 6 double rolls is a pretty good price.
@Trixie, I agree. I do the same deal and try to get 4 or so. It’s the cheapest any tp goes around west michigan. The ulta plush (purple package) is nice and lasts pretty long as long as you don’t have a potty training toddler.
Walmart has Angelsoft 24 doublerolls for $10.00.I live in Rutherfordton N.C.It might not be that cheap where you live.
For me, I just try to find decently cheap. In Alaska we tend to pay about 1.00 more per item than down in the Lower 48 (and no, that’s not an exageration), so I figure if I can beat the 1.30 or so my local Fred Meyer has a 4 pack of Angel Soft Regular rolls for, I’ll go for it.
Or if I can find 12 double rolls for under 5.99 after coupon I tend to get it, if I have the wiggle room in my grocery budget that week just to make sure my stockpile is healthy (I’ve gotten Target generic toilet paper this way, Marcal small steps, etc.). I’ve gotten quite a stockpile of toilet paper over the last year, so I’m just going through that and waiting for a killer sale with the limited coupons we can get up here and hoping to re-stockpile a bit.
The best price I was able to score toilet paper at was .25 for a 4 pack of Angel Soft at Carrs/Safeway when they were running a 1.25 sale on Angel Soft and Sparkle single rolls. I scored .25 toilet paper and paper towels in one week…life was good that week.
As for paper towels…I just try to go for about 5.00 for 8 rolls or more after coupons. My local Fred Meyer tends to run a sale on Scott or other paper towel packs once about every two or three months and I’ll just pick them up if I have the money in my budget that week. I picked up a few “huge mega big packs” of paper towels at Target when they were switching over to their new packaging on clearance a while back, so I’m not dying for paper towels yet (although I’m getting to the point of having to shop around for them again). Hope that helps some!
I only buy toilet paper when it’s $3.99 or less (usually it’s Cottonelle 12 double rolls).
I buy the 30 pack at sam’s for $18.19. which works out to about .60 a roll.
Or…. .22 cents if you consider each roll being a double roll…that’s a good way to look at it Eleanor! 🙂
Rite Aid has the 20 pack double rolls of Cottonelle for $10.99 this week and they generate a 2 SCR making them $8.99 for 20 rolls…which is .44 cents a roll…I think that’s a good deal personally, but I’m new at this. 🙂
Scott is the best for the money. We use way fewer rolls of it than any others I have bought,
Our Hy-Vee store has had some pretty great Cottonelle sales this past year. About every five or six months they have a Red Hot Weekend sale and they will have Cottonelle 12 pks, double rolls for just $4.99. Paired with a $1/1 or even $.50/1 coupon, I think that is a heck of a deal for good, quality t.p.!!! I have also found that Dollar General has a generic brand that is almost identical to Charmin and sells for $2 per 4 pack (double rolls).
My stock up price is anything I can get cheaper than $.20/double roll. I usually base my stock up prices on Costco. Before couponing I always shopped at Costco for everything. Now I keep a list in my coupon binder of Costco “price per” prices. If I find a deal that is cheaper than that I usually will stock up!
I find that buying cheap (and even free) toilet paper is not worth it. I buy Scott 1000 and it never fails. It is thin and costs a little more (okay – alot more) but one rolls lasts about a week in our home of 4 people and we have a lot of visitors each week. I pay around $4 per 4-pack which lasts a month – not a bad deal I think.
I go by the price per length. Roll lengths can be different sizes. The least exensive kind that I have found here (in the land of no double coupons) is the Target brand, in their largest package of 24 double rolls (equal to 48 regular rolls). It’s 900 sq. ft in the package. It’s cheaper than the least expensive stuff that Walmart carries (even with a coupon), and nicer, too. I often find it on an unadvertised sale of $1 off a package. I haven’t bought any for months and months, and I don’t have any receipts for any (I checked), but if I recall it is regularly $11.99.
I am SO glad that you asked this question! I have not been a couponer for very long, but compared to some of the comment responses, my standard for tp and paper towels is way too low. I used to buy all my tp and paper towels from Coscto. I would buy the Kirkland brand. I paid $17.99 fir 36 rolls, 425 sheets per roll which comes out to .49 per roll. For paper towels, I paid $14.79 for 12 rolls of paper towels which is $1.23 per roll. Since that is what I used to pay, anything less than .49 per tp roll and $1.23 per paper towel roll was a deal to me. I do agree with the other comments, though, because a roll of Scott tp and a roll of Cottonelle are NOT the same thing and they definitely don’t last as long. Kirkland brand seemed to last for quite some time and to be of decent quality, too…hmmmmm…but free tp is still better…no matter what. I need to learn the CVS game of stocking up on tp!
My beloved husband puts up with a lot, but won’t tolerate sub par toilet paper and that’s okay with me. We only use Charmin, Cottonelle, or Quilted Northern, unless I can get something for free. My target price is 32 cents or less per double roll. When I can get under 30 cents, I really stock up! Hope that helps 🙂
I use scott too it does last the longest and I find our tb falls apart and due to having crohn’s I use a lot of tb, now if only I could write it off as a medical expense. lol
I just stocked up from Woodmans in Carpentersville, Illinois. My brand is the Marcal small steps the 12- double roll package for $3.29. This brand is better than Angel Soft or White Cloud. The best thing is that it’s not too thick for the septic. Cottonelle is the worst for the septic. Last week the coupon inserts on 02/07 included a $ 2.00 coupon for the 12- Dble roll package. I’m stocked for two months.
I bought the Cottenelle double roll 12 pack after the free cottenelle ended. Mostly because I didn’t want to figure out another brand that I liked and also because I had a high dollar coupon ($2 i think?) and it was on sale at Dillon’s. I was surprised when this 12 pack lasted us (just my husband and I using it) almost 3 months. I compare this with the Angel Soft and regular Cottenelle rolls that I used to use; 1 roll of that lasted 3-4 days instead of 6-7 of the Cottenelle double rolls. I have never figured the cost per square or ounce or anything but it is a good deal to me when I can spend $6-8 every 3 months on tp. [It is regularly on sale at Dillon’s for $7.99(?) and if I can get a coupon or two on top of that it seems like a good deal for me. That’s only $2-3 per month. 😀
I use the 1.00 off White Cloud @ Walmart. A 4 pack is 2.00. Pretty good price.
This is one of the few things we’re brand loyal to, with Charmin. I live with my mom, and she has… issues in the restroom 😉 and likes the Charmin.
I try to stock up when it’s $6 or less (fairly often when Kroger has buy so much and get $ off deals) for the equivelent of a 24 rolls. If there’s a great deal on something else, I’ll get it and use it myself, but I prefer the Charmin too.
I haven’t been able to find the Marcal brand in my town, I’ve hated to see all the free papertowel coupons I can’t use! I’ve bought CVS brand papertowels for a long time (the select-a-size), but the roll recently shrunk quite a bit so I need to reevaluate that.
@Nichole, Try http://www.marcalpaper.com/findstore.html. Hopefully you can find a store. 🙂
Unless my local Market Basket throws it on sale, 3pkgs of 12 rolls for $10, I buy Angel Soft Double Rolls (12/pk) at Walmart for $5.97. This works out to just under .25 per roll. I tried Charmin when it was on sale, and I didn’t like it all. I also will NOT buy toilet paper that is see through lol. Reminds me too much of a fast food restroom.
No Cheap TP here. We’re a Charmin Ultra Strong family. Although now that my 2 year old is potty trained and takes to throwing a roll in the toilet now and again, I had a decent deal on Cottonelle today (esp compared to Charmin Ultra Strong) so I bought that for his bathroom.
No cheap paper towels here either – we’re a bounty family. Another brand would have to be free for me to try it.
Great post!
I don’t know if any of you have a Pamida but if you do they double coupons once a month at the beginning of the month. I typically find a few things that really make it worth the trip. This past trip for example we found Saran Wrap (the big ones) for .90 each, also found huge packs of Bounty Napkins for .37 These prices were WITHOUT coupons! Also on the TP question this is a GREAT place to stock up! We got the quilted northern new triple rolls 12 packs for 1.99 each after coupons (they were marked 4.99 and then we had the 1.00 off coupons (double to 2.00). The “trick” with couponing at Pamida is that you have to read the prices usually the just replace the regular tag with a reduced price…there is no clearance/reduced sign/pricing so you have to be on the look out. Usually there is at least 1 item in the ad that matches some coupon that has recently been released. One time it was Pace Salsa they had it for 2/5.00 and there was a coupon released for 1.00 off making each .50 each….ok so that’s my lonnnnngggg tp story!
I avoid charmin because it’s caused septic issues before, it doesn’t dissolve very well and with kids potty training sometimes way to much goes down at once if you know what I mean (consumer reports reported the same issues because dissolve time is one of the things they test).
But I get the marcal small steps or whatever it’s called free with the coupon, my local grocery store has that brand for $2 about once a month or so.
I try for $0.25/roll or less but that’s just a guideline. Right now I have about a year’s supply because that local grocery store had cottonelle for $1 a 4pk so I stocked with the $1/1 and $0.50/1 coupons that have been widespread.
@Michelle Mathis, Do you happen to know where I can find into on toilet paper breakdown? I’d really like to look into it. We’re on septic but the house and septic system are only three years old. I’ve been cautious about cleaners and such, but now I’m wondering if my TP could cause issues down the road!
@Christina,
I get the Consumer Reports magazine and not to long ago they did an article/feature on toilet paper. One of the catagories they tested was how long it took to dissolve completely. Not suprisingly the thicker the toilet paper the longer it takes to dissolve which could your drain field to get plugged up (which is major $$, basically new septic system).
Here is a link to the article, or at least part of it. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/may-2009/home-garden/toilet-paper/overview/toilet-paper-ov.htm
12.5 cents a roll at Albertson’s
http://beautifulfrugallife.blogspot.com/2010/02/albertsons-update-more-twice-value.html
I agree with a lot of people that toilet paper with all it’s varying roll and pack sizes make my head spin. But, I don’t stress over it – I have a low stock up price, so I know I’m getting a great deal, even if the square footage is less.
I agree with Kristin, above, I buy at $.20 / roll (if I’m running low), and I stock up at $.15 / roll. I have managed to get this kind of deal on what I consider to be good brands (quilted northern, cotonelle, charmin). Most of my current TP stockpile came from the Quilted Norther deals at Rite Aid last fall.
My stock up price is .60 or less per 4 pack, so .15 a roll. I use most any brand except for the paper thin public restroom stuff.
Around this area, I try to aim for $4.49 – $4.99 per 12 pack of double rolls. I can usually score it for this at Publix or CVS.
I also take advantage of the Bonus Pack Deals at CVS, like Michelle does!
That’s the best I can find, though!
I haven’t been able to get much free Tp here in South Jersey. Most of the time I pay $17.00 for 30 rolls of Scott at Sam’s club. The wrapped rolls seem to have more paper than unrapped ones.
We are also Charmin Ultra-Strong snobs. I have tried all the other major brands, plus a few cheapies, and the Charmin wins. Cottonelle runs a close second though. I have more food stamps than we need, so when RR/catalina/gift card deals run on food items, I buy those and use the RR for non-food items, mainly diapers and toilet paper, because those seem to be the biggest expense for us otherwise. So far I haven’t been able to “stock up” but have to buy TP when necessary! That’s one thing you can’t go without.
Toilet paper is one of those things (like toothpaste and razors) that I haven’t actually spent real money on since I started couponing about a year ago. I have a huge stockpile of Quilted Northern and Cottonelle that I’ve accumulated free at the drug stores over the last few months. If you work your deals right, I think there’s no need to pay out of pocket for most household items.
I get the TP made from recycled paper at CVS when it goes on sale for $3 – $5, usually using ECBs. The big packages seem to last about 2 or 3 months for our family of 3. I feel better using recycled TP than TP made from trees.
My ‘buy’ price is .20 per single roll. I don’t have time to calculate square footage prices. My stock up price is .15 per single roll. Any time, day or night, I can get Angel Soft at walmart for .20 a double roll, so that is my price to beat with ‘premium’ tp like Charmin, Cottonelle, Quilted Northern. No CVS for me so no good deals there, the last 3 times I’ve stocked up on TP was at Target, they will have a giftcard deal where you buy a combination of bounty and Charmin or 2 of each , get a $5 or $10 giftcard. I have good luck getting 1/1 Charmin qs and this makes for a decent deal, the last 2 times I also had a Target q for charmin to stack with it.
My stock up price is $3.99 for a 12 pack of double rolls of the good stuff. Cottonelle ultra, Quilted Northern. This week I was getting a double roll 12 pack of Angel soft for $2.99 at Albertsons with an IP and a doubler.
At Walmart, they have a 4 pack of double rolls of the White Cloud brand fror $2. Use the $1 q that came in the inserts a week or two ago for $.12.5 per reg roll. Cheap decent TP.
We use the Scott Extra Soft. Great midrange softness & value. I grab it from CVS when their 12 double roll packs go on sale every 6 weeks or so for $6.99 then with coupon it’s $5.99. That’s $.50 a roll or $.25 if you consider each roll being a double roll – each roll has over 400 sheets so the rolls last a decent amount of time too! 🙂
Life’s too short for cheap toilet paper. I am a Charmin Ultra-Strong girl. Let’s just say that toilet paper “crumbs” are the one thing I can do without.
Since I am so brand loyal, I don’t have a stock up price per se. Rather I use my overages from other deals to get my preferred TP on the cheap. Worst case scenario I get the super king kong mega mega pack at Sams. It has something like 72 rolls worth of TP for $17.
@Half-Assed Housewife,
giggling at “super king kong mega mega pack”
We have a septic system and have found that ONLY Scott 1000 rolls will not cause stoppage problems. I stock when it’s on sale but any other brand causes more trouble than the savings are worth.
@Stacia, If you can find the Marcal single rolls that they keep putting out coupons for, they will work as well. I actually like them better than the Scotts that we used for that same reason. 🙂
@Jaime, Thanks, Jamie. I’ll keep l;ooking. I have the same trouble finding it here in TX, just like a previous commentor. I’ll check that link posted though. I have been wanting to use those coupons!
@Jaime,
That’s great info! Thanks! I thought we were stuck only using Scott b/c of our septic too. (We like it so I don’t mind, but in between deals on Scott can sometimes be difficult). I’ll have to check out Marcal!
Does anyone know where to find Marcal Small steps aper goods. I have two free rolls of paper towels. but cant find out in this area (TX) sells it. I”ve been to Krogers, Walmart , HEb, target,,, no luck..
melodystrother@yahoo.com
@melody, Our Kroger (Central Ohio) carries that brand. The company webpage has a store finder- you might try there! http://marcalsmallsteps.com/index.html
@melody, Try http://www.marcalpaper.com/findstore.html. Hopefully you can find a store. 🙂
@melody, Go to Marcal’s website. They have a place you can find out where their specific products are sold in your area. We have tons of stores where I live and the closest place to get the free rolls is about 20 miles away. Hope this helps! 🙂
My “stock-up” price is below $.50 (for a 4 pack).. I say this b/c I can get a 4 pack of angel soft at cost for $1 at Walmart!!! =)
Another Scott TP family here. I stock up when cvs has it on sale.
For our house, a good deal on toilet paper is under $5 for a 12 pack (double roll) of Charmin. Recently our HEB had 2 for $8 for Basic Charmin 12 rolls (double size), so I got our house 2 packs. I have yet to find free tp. I would love to find the Marcal single roll. The Kroger here carries the 4 pack, but I haven’t been able to find the single roll and get it free.
@Rachel Knox, Try http://www.marcalpaper.com/findstore.html. Hopefully you can find a store. 🙂
@Jaime,
Wow, thanks so much for that link… I thought I had looked in all the stores near me for the Marcal TP, but it turns out my “second choice” Kroger store carries it!
I used to get TP free at CVS (when we felt CVSing was worth my time) or Cottonelle at Kroger (for very little effort).
Now TP is something I have to spend $$ on. 🙁
I find it very hard cost comparing TP. Hubby is completely unwilling to use generics – we tried once and that was it.
But the name brands all have different ply (do you need LESS squares of 3 ply than you need of 2 ply?), they all have different numbers of squares per roll and square feet of TP per package. There are double rolls, regular rolls, mega rolls….
Honestly, I’m a very well educated woman and I feel like figuring out the best deal in the TP aisle is my biggest shopping woe!! :-Q
This is one item that I just let my husband be picky on. He likes Cottonelle so I buy it when I can get it for $1.99 for a 6 pack of double rolls. Not the best deal in the world but since we’ve given up pretty much all of our other brand loyalties I don’t really mind.
Now, someone above mentioned having trouble with paper towels… I have been able to get great deals on Bounty Basic. Bi-Lo has been having them for 19 cents after coupons and sales every once in a while for the last couple of months. I also was able to get them for 25 cents a roll at Target over the summer. I think that is a fairly decent price for paper towels.
I agree w/Money Saving Madness. On the current Marcal Coupon I’ve stocked up about a year worth, more coupons coming in the mail this week.
My fall back is Quilted Northern I can find it at Walgreen’s and my Dollar Store for $3.99 on a regular basis they always have coupons for $1.00 off these are 1.5X sized rolls 9 per package.
Last week Target had 12 rolls of Cottonelle double rolls sale price $6.99 used the $1.00 Target and the $1.00 Manufc. coupon since these are double rolls it was a bit better than my regular purchase. The Quilted Northern is about .33 per roll (if i did that math right but again it is a 1.5x roll just under a double and just over regular roll size)
I think the Cottonelle deal at CVS this week is good $5.49 for 12 double rolls=24 regular rolls plus there is a $1 off coupon- comes out to 18 cents a roll for regular rolls. I will only buy Cottonelle or Angel Soft or Quilted Northern. The cheap kind of Angel Soft 4 pk is usually $1 that’s what I buy when nothing else is on sale with a coupon.
i guess i missed the cottenelle.. BUT my stock up price is free to 1.50 a pack of 12 rolls (double rolls at that) i do this at ride aid.. when i have a manf. coupon and a store coupon (video rewards) and they are on sale.. then use a “fall rewards” or “gift card” I recently went there and got a 12 pack of tp, 1 pkg of pull-ups, 1 renue contact solution, and deodorant and OOP was 1.37$ and will get back 10.99 in rebates (cash i can take to the bank) so in short.. FREE!!
I’m with Molly, Scott 1000 is one of the few things I’m very brand loyal to. I have a family of three with my dh & teen son. A 12 pack of Scott lasts us at least 12 weeks. Even though I use a little more because it’s thinner, it just lasts much longer. We go through a roll about every 7 to 10 days on average.
Saying that, .50 a roll is usually the best I’ve been able to get it at Walgreens.
I also buy the Walgreens brand Big Roll when it goes on sale for .50 each. It is basically the same as Scott & goes on sale more often.
I’ve considered buying other brands for .25 or less a roll on sale but Scott lasts more than twice as long so I haven’t really figured out what I should be willing to pay for other brands, except free of course.
We are a family of 7, almost 8. I look at the cost per sheet (Scott is 1000 sheets/roll). In my family, the kids use the same amount of tp whether it is single ply or double ply. So I buy single ply (more sheets per roll that way). The cheapest toilet paper I can find is when Scott goes on sale for 5.99 for a 12 pack. It is helpful to have an extra coupon, but that is the cheapest basic price on toilet paper around here (Charlotte, NC). I find that Food Lion is the one that puts that sale on every other month or so.
@Elisabeth,
Yeah, we are Scott users…we are strange in that we actually prefer the “cheap” TP over the fluffy stuff.
Your $5.99 per 12 pk of Scott is about the cheapest I can find it here in PA too. However, I rarely see it for that price anymore and have to often settle for $6.99.
Just a note, I’ve had success with calling Scott and asking specifically for coupons for the regualar 1,000 sheet packs of Scott. Most of the coupons I find anymore are for the Scott Extra Soft which we don’t care for.
I just bought Quilted Northern at $ 1.99 for 256 square feet (my grocery doubles one dollar coupons). I feel pretty happy with that price and quality, but I wish I could get that deal more consistently.
I’m a toilet paper snob, and really only like the decent brands, like Charmin (even the Charmin Basic, which I actually prefer) or Cottenelle. My rule of thumb is to see which one has more square foot per roll, and then to price it per “four packs”, like the original TP was sold in. If it’s under $1 per regular four pack, I’ll get it. If it’s under $.50 per four pack, I stock up!
This is hard for me as I have very sensitive skin and price isn’t always the deciding factor for me when purchasing toilet paper. It doesn’t do me any good to skimp on tp when I have to turn around and buy something for irritation. Publix has a good, soft brand of tp though….
Can’t wait to read what others are buying. 🙂
Here is how I determine if TP is a good price:
http://cuttingcouponsinkc.blogspot.com/2009/10/blog-post.html
My stock up price on toilet paper is FREE! Each year beginning on Black Friday, I start building my Extra Bucks at CVS in anticipation of the Bonus Pack sales in Jan-Feb. I use my Extra Bucks in combination with money-off CVS coupons and other money-maker deals to get a full year’s supply of toilet paper. This year I am fairly certain I have a two year supply!!!!!!!!!!! Here is a photo and more information on how I accomplished it!
http://www.moneysavingmadness.com/2010/02/cvs-bonus-pack-dealsending-soon.html
You’re making me miss CVS so much!
OMG that is so awesome to have a stockpile of TP that large! 🙂
@Money Saving Madness,
I pretty much do the same thing, except I use excess EB to stock up on diapers. I haven’t really had to “pay” for diapers in years.
Wow–that is a lot of tp! I have four 12 double roll packs that will last my family an eternity–OK, well over a year–and I was kicking myself for buying that last pack because of all the space they take up! Now I don’t feel so bad!
I always shoot for .20 or less for a double roll, which is easy to do. There is always a sale somewhere on 12 double rolls, just combine it with a $1 coupon. Often, though, I use my tp purchases as part of a larger deal, like Money Saving Madness. I usually prefer Rite Aid, where you can often combine a sale, a mfg coupon, a Rite Aid coupon, and $5/20 purchase coupon, along with all the free-after-rebate items.
I usually buy when it’s 4.99 for a 24 pack (or 12 mega rolls) works out to be about .20c a roll. *this is usually cottonelle, charmin or quilted northern.
Also, if you have some register rewards or ECB’s that are about to expire with no good deals to use them on – buy tp!
@bethany,
Agree. I try to wait for 24 single/12 double pack Cottonelle to go on sale for $4.99, and then use coupons. But it doesn’t go that low as often as it used to.
I only buy scott but for that brand it has to be .50 a roll or less. But it is the most roll for your money and we have a big family. I try to stock up when I find it on the cheap! The other brands seem to run out faster.
@Molly,
I am a Scott person too, due mostly to the fact that I hate changing the roll and Scott last sooooo much longer. However I have found CVS has a good 1000 sheet version as does Giant Eagle. Sometimes they go on sale. I also usually buy TP when I have Extra Care Bucks that are about to expire.
Since the free Cottonelle has dried up, I’d have to go with anything under $2 for a 4-pack of double rolls. I’m waiting for the bonus packs of Cottonelle to go on clearance at CVS. They only run the bonus deals for a short time, and then they clearance out the rest. Rumor has it that they’ll be $4.99 and still generate $4 ECBs. That would be TP heaven… 20 double rolls for $.99. Sheesh!
Until then…. I’ll be satisfied paying under $2 for 4 double rolls.
I struggle with this also, as every TP brand has different size rolls and different sheet amounts. Big rolls, mega rolls, double rolls, who can keep track? I was tracking by single sheets, but then you have two-ply, one-ply.
So anyway, I try my best to track by single roll unit price. If the package is double or mega roll, I divide by two and then figure the unit price. This seems to give me the best overall idea. My stock up price is about 9-10 cents per single roll for a decent TP. Usually the cheap brands I can get for free or crazy cheap, but for a decent TP, I would say the above price.
Same problem with paper towels and I still haven’t figured them out!
Some of us in Topeka who are also mourning the loss of the free Cottonelle have calculated that a good deal is best determined by square ft pricing (making it easier to compare). We shoot for approximately 1 cent per square foot. Hope that helps!
I am SO glad you posed this question! I cannot wait to hear readers’ ideas. I am new to “serious” couponing and this is one area where I have trouble even knowing what constitutes a good deal. Thanks!
My favorite price is free! I use $2/1 Marcal coupons to get 4-packs for free at my local County Market store. They usually go on sale for $2 every other month.