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The average American uses 100 rolls of toilet paper each year. That’s about eight to nine sheets of toilet paper every time we go to the bathroom. Quick math tallies that at 57 sheets every day. An average roll costs about $0.84 and contains 150 sheets. This means you’re using 11 rolls per month. Add kids to the mix (and you know they use more TP than you), and you have a costly, ongoing monthly expense. So where the heck are you going to find cheap toilet paper?
Cut your toilet paper expense by 70%. Instead of an average of $0.05 – $0.06 per foot, follow these tips to pay no more than $0.02 per square foot on your choice of brands. We’re talking Charmin, Cottonelle, and Quilted Northern.
If you want to save more on just about everything, download The Krazy Coupon Lady app to get money-saving hacks sent straight to your phone.
1. First thing to know when shopping for cheap toilet paper: never trust roll size.
Prepare to feel betrayed when I tell you that toilet paper roll size varies by store. Based on misleading information like the chart above, I used to believe that “regular roll” was a standard.
But roll size is actually subjective, determined by negotiations between the retailer and the manufacturer. Mega roll, double roll, and regular roll mean nothing. The roll comparison chart from Charmin is bogus in about a third of the cases.
A 9-pack of Charmin mega toilet paper rolls at Amazon and a 9-pack of Charmin mega rolls at Walmart are not the same size. Even within one retailer, like Amazon, depending on the specific toilet paper pack, your square footage per roll varies by up to 25%.
| Amazon | Charmin 9 mega roll/36 reg roll | 280 sq ft | 7.8 sq ft/reg. roll |
| Walmart | Charmin 9 mega roll/36 reg roll | 237 sq ft | 6.6 sq ft/reg. roll |
2. Always calculate price per square foot to determine toilet paper price.
Since price per roll is subjective (and attempting to understand it across stores, sizes, and brands is a giant waste of time), we must focus on price per square foot. To calculate, take the price and divide by the square feet. The Charmin 30-roll pack costs $22.99 at Costco ($22.99 ÷ 840 = $0.027 per square foot).
Square footage will always be listed on packages, but online shoppers will note that square footage is often missing in product specifications. If you can’t locate square footage, the next best way to calculate unit cost is in sheets per roll. The size of individual sheets varies by about 5% between brands. For this reason we prefer to calculate cost per square foot instead. Price per square foot is a near-perfect unit cost. The only thing it doesn’t take into account is the difference between a 1-, 2-, and 3-ply paper.
3. Start couponing for toilet paper using the free The Krazy Coupon Lady app.
Ever wish you had a personal shopper? The type who reads all the weekly store ads for you, shops your favorite places, and always knows where to find a toilet paper coupon? Download the free The Krazy Coupon Lady app and let us be that person.
Toilet paper deals (along with detergent, breakfast cereal, and baby diapers) are our favorite deals to find! Each week, The Krazy Coupon Lady publishes at least three toilet paper deals at national retailers like Target, Walmart, Amazon, Kroger, Safeway, Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, and Costco. Download the app to see them all. Then follow the step-by-step instructions to save 50 – 70% on the retail price.
Here’s an example of a recent deal at Walgreens:
Use one $1/1 – Angel Soft Bath Tissue Big Rolls 9 count, online at Walgreens
Final Price: $1.99, or $0.22 per roll
4. Print toilet paper coupons online.
Toilet paper coupons are rarely hard to find if you know where to look. At KCL, we scour the latest websites, apps, and, yes, even the Sunday newspaper. We find every toilet paper coupon available so you can clip, print, and download them today.
Printable coupons, especially those valued at $0.75 or above, are worth printing right away. Coupons worth $0.50 or less are more common and less likely to disappear quickly.
To easily find toilet paper coupons in the future, bookmark the pages below:
And for added savings, make sure you download Ibotta for cash-back offers valid on toilet paper.
Related: Find out how you can get the cheapest paper towels.
5. Shop at the best store for your brand.
Interestingly enough, different stores tend to have better deals for different brands. Depending on which brands you like, your best-bet retailers will vary.
Find the best Angel Soft toilet paper deals at Kroger.
You can get deals on Angel Soft toilet paper just about anywhere. And usually, you can find a sale on the Angel Soft 4-packs for $1. Plus, there are often $0.25 – $0.50 Angel Soft coupons. In the past, Kroger doubled coupons (the glory days), making for even better deals. We suggest going to a store that does double coupons. Here’s a deal we’ve seen at Kroger:
Use one $0.45/1 – Angel Soft Bath Tissue (Angelsoft.com)
Or $0.45/1 – Angel Soft Bathroom Tissue from RP
Final Price: $0.55
Get the best Charmin toilet paper deals at CVS or Target.
At the beginning of every month, Coupons.com usually releases high-value Charmin coupons, with a value up to $1. Follow The Krazy Coupon Lady to receive notifications when these coupons come out; then print them right away. I always make sure to print at least four of these coupons (I can print two per phone number). Then I hold onto them until I see a good sale or promotion. Target and CVS are known for having promotions where you can save extra money by spending or buying a certain amount of product. Here’s a recent CVS deal:
Purchase 1 Charmin Bath Tissue, 16 count $9.99
Spend $30, Receive $10 Extrabucks, Limit 1
Use two $1/1 – Bounty Paper Towels 6 count or larger (Coupons.com)
Or $1/1 – Bounty Towel Product 6 count or larger from RP
Another option: $0.25/1 – Bounty Product from PG
And use one $1/1 – Charmin Toilet Paper Product 6 roll or larger from RP
Or $0.25/1 – Charmin Product from PG
Submit $1/1 – Bounty Products, 6 count or larger, via rebate app (Checkout51.com)
And submit $1/2 – Bounty Paper Towels, 6 count or larger, via rebate app (Ibotta.com)
Pay $26.97, Receive $10 Extrabucks and submit for $1 Checkout 51 Credit and $1 Ibotta Credit
Final Price: $4.99 each, when you buy all 3
Score the best Cottonelle toilet paper deals at Walgreens.
Walgreens is known for their $5 12-packs of Cottonelle toilet paper. Plus, you can get this price even lower with printable Cottonelle coupons, Walgreens digital coupons, and rebate apps. Here’s an example of what you can expect to see at Walgreens:
Use one $1/1 – Cottonelle Toilet Paper 6 count or larger (Ibotta.com)
Final Price: $3.49, or $0.29 per roll ($0.02 per square foot)
You can also find great deals on Charmin and Scott at Walgreens, too.
You’ll see the best Scott toilet paper deals at Target.
If you’re a Target shopper, you’re familiar with their gift card deals. Almost every week Target has a gift card promotion on either Charmin or Scott and Cottonelle. I find the best deals on Scott toilet paper at Target, and occasionally I’ll score a really great deal on Charmin. Here’s an example of the savings you’ll find at Target:
Use one $1/1 – Scott Bath Tissue 6-pack or larger (Coupons.com)
And use one $2/1 Scott Bath Tissue, 12 pack or larger (Fetch Rewards)
Also use 5% off your Target RedCard every day
Pay $10.44
Final Price: $10.44 when you buy 1, or $0.58 per roll ($0.012 per square foot)
Amazon Subscribe & Save is typically the best deal for Quilted Northern.
If you’re a Quilted Northern fan, Amazon Subscribe & Save is the way to go for low prices. Over the last year Amazon’s price on Quilted Northern has hovered around $0.022 to $0.03, right now it’s at $0.028. This price is less than Walmart‘s every day price of $0.036, and current sale price of $0.065 at CVS (reg. price $0.046, and $0.037 at Walgreens (reg. price is $0.049) per square foot.
MOBILE COUPONS NEEDED
6. Don’t discount generics.
One of the first “ahas” of couponing is that it’s actually cheaper to buy name-brand than generic when you use coupons! That’s usually true with toilet paper, but there are exceptions. Walgreens generic brands are frequently competitive with our after-coupon bargain prices.
Keep an eye out for coupons to use on Nice! brand at Walgreens.
Keep an eye out for coupons to use on Nice! brand at Walgreens.
Recently (within the past year), we’ve seen great deals on this Walgreens store brand with printable coupons and Walgreens booklet coupons. Plus, readers even claim that this brand is comparable to, if not better than, Charmin.
Use two $1/1 – Nice! Ultra Soft or Ultra Strong Bath Tissue (Coupons.com)
Final Price: $1.50 each, when you buy 2, or $0.25 per double roll ($0.006 per square foot)
7. Stock up at $0.02 per square foot or less (under normal circumstances).
By following sales at The Krazy Coupon Lady and printing toilet paper coupons online, you should be able to find a stock-up price on toilet paper in your area a few times per month. Your goal should be to never pay more than $0.02 per square foot (less than half of the average price of $0.05 per square foot).
Another of those first couponing “ahas” is the stockpiling principle. Aside from sales and coupons, it’s the thing that saves me the most time and money. And it’s stupid-simple.
When you find a product you use regularly (say, toilet paper?) at a significantly lower price than you normally pay, stock up. How much? A cabinet full or a storage unit full? I suggest not buying more than a 1-year supply, ever. It’s just not necessary.
Here are my stock-up guidelines for name-brand toilet paper:
-
- $0.01/square foot = I buy 6 months’ worth
- $0.02/square foot = I buy 3 – 6 months’ worth
8. If you run out, Kirkland brand toilet paper (sans coupons) is a sure thing.
Kirkland brand toilet paper is hands down the best toilet paper deal you can get without coupons. So if you’re in a pinch, use Instacart or head to Costco.com where Kirkland brand is always $0.01 per square foot. Want to try it without a membership? Find out how.
9. Which just leaves one decision: over or under?
According to a Cottonelle Roll Poll:
- 72% hang toilet paper with the first sheet over the roll
- 28% prefer to hang the first sheet under the roll
Which are you?
