Toilet Paper is definitely one of those items that all people need to buy. People like myself who coupon-shop especially like to grab this item when it reaches stockpile prices. Not all toilet paper is created equal; you have double rolls, triple rolls, and even something called the Mega roll..oh my! The choices for toilet paper seem endless and it can be really hard to know which toilet paper stretches your dollar the furthest.
I’ve been wanting to get down to the “bottom” of what are the best deals on toilet paper and what prices bargain shoppers should be paying. I admit it’s sort of a strange research project but then again couponers do some strange things. 🙂 I did some research at 5 large stores to compare every brand of toilet paper available. The stores I went to are Costco, Walmart, Target, Cash n Carry, and Winco. My research was to determine the answer to this question, “Which Toilet Paper is the best value?”
I created a spreadsheet you can view that shows regular price, square footage, thickness (or ply), the price per sq foot, and price per roll. Feel free to print this out and add it to your coupon binder or coupon box as a reference guide. Note – when you open this spreadsheet there are two tabs at the bottom – one that lists just the top 5 from each ply of toilet paper, and also the top prices from each brand.
You have two options to view this list:
- View in Google Docs version
- For printable version from Google Docs: Click File, Download As, choose PDF and export to your computer
- There are two tabs at the bottom, make sure and check each tab as there is useful information there as well.
What I found out was that to determine the best price on Toilet paper we needed to figure out the Price per Square foot per package. Forget about the price per roll…it’s all about the square footage. Here is how you determine the square footage of the package –
Find the Total Square Feet number on the package. Then divide it into the price that the package costs. So if this package costs $9.24 you would divide that into 1257.6 = $0.007 per sq. foot. This is the formula you can always use when your are out shopping to determine the price you are paying. I had heard that you should stick to under $0.01 per square foot for stocking up, but the results I found were quite a bit lower than even that $0.01 per sq. foot pricing.
Want to hear the results of my research? Drum roll please…..
The #1 Winner for best price per square foot was for Simply Value brand toilet paper at Cash n Carry. The Simply Value brand 20 Rolls package runs $13.47 and has 2055 total square feet of toilet paper. So that is only .007 per square foot.
The next runner up in best value was Scott 1000 Toilet paper. At Walmart and Target the price per square foot were also .007 per square foot, just slightly on the higher side of it.
You wanna see my bar graph? Oh yeah…I am totally nerding out here with my data… it’s just so fun to see in graph form!
While these Simply Value and Scott 1000 toilet paper prices are the best per sq. foot in price, the toilet paper is only 1 ply thickness. This means the toilet paper is pretty thin and not very soft. They weren’t horribly rough or anything, they were fine, just not as soft as the others. The rolls are also larger, which means less changing them out – I love that! My Simply Value toilet paper rolls seem to last FOREVER! While I love soft toilet paper, I love a great value even more so I will be sticking with these two choices in the future, unless I can beat that price per sq. foot using coupons + sales.
Does Softness Matter to you? There is definitely a difference when it comes to softness in toilet paper, so if you like it soft I figured out the best prices on the 2-Ply and 3-Ply types. Each ply means how many sheets are put together to make the toilet paper sheets. You can see 2-Ply very clearly here –
Here are the best value prices graphs in 2-Ply and 3-Ply toilet paper brands (this is for people who really value the softness in toilet paper, a little more than lowest prices. )
For 2 Ply Toilet Paper, the best deals are at Costco and Walmart:
Costco’s Marathon Ultra 48 Big Rolls is priced at $0.008 per sq. foot
Costco’s Kirkland Embossed 36 rolls is priced at $0.009 per sq. foot
Walmart’s “New” brand 12 double rolls is priced at $0.01 per sq. foot.
All of these prices are still under the $0.01 per sq. foot pricing, so these are great prices.
But when we get into the 3-ply the price per sq. foot is a bit higher.
Quilted Northern Ultra 30 rolls $0.019 (almost $0.02 per sq. foot)
Walmart’s White Cloud Ultra 12 Double Roll is priced at $0.021 per sq. foot.
More on Softness – I tested each one of these toilet paper brands shown below to determine the softness. My testing techniques shall remain private and confidential. (hee hee) 😉 The number one top pick for softness was Quilted Northern. Being 3-ply thickness it was the Cadillac of toilet papers for sure. My next vote for softness was the Costco’s Kirkland brand, followed by Charmin, and then Angel Soft. Next was Cottonelle, then Western Family, Simply Value and then Scott 1000.
So the bottom line is this – softness comes with a price and only you can determine what you willing to pay.
I’m not ashamed to say I’m a 1 ply and proud. I just love the best value price so much, and how long each roll lasts. I hope my research and spreadsheet help you out!
Comments & Reviews
Jason says
Total square feet is not the only thing to consider… if some rolls are a little less wide but you use the same number of sheets then it will last longer. Like the great value 1000 sheets (size 4.1″ x 3.8″) even if you double up that’s 500 sheets. Where as two I just looked up such as Quilted Northern 2-ply has 242 4″x4″ sheets and Charmin mega roll 352 2-ply 4.27″x4″ sheets…
I don’t mind the one ply or care about softness either. I’m not soaking it in water where it falls apart… Just a wipe at a time works great!
Kim says
Great info and spoken in a language I can understand (I love spreadsheets and calculations!). Thank you!
Vivian says
I like Northeren Soft & Strong, & the 3ply. I also Like Charmin Double and Mega Rolls. I usually find them on sale & have coupons at Kroger or Meijer. Scott is so hard.
Jeanette says
Thanks! I’ve been wanting this info for a long time!
Sunnutt says
Great info! Is it safe to ASSume ( ;0) ) that if we use 1-ply, that we’ll probably use twice as much (as 2-ply)? And if that’s logical, would it make sense to figure the square footage of 2-ply width X length X 2?
Fun Stuff says
I have used one and 2 ply. With the 2 ply, I barely get pass one week. With the one ply, I do two weeks easy, and that’s on a regular… Besides the 2 ply leaves paper lint all over the place.
Toni says
I was going nuts trying to figure out TP comparison seriously it’s crazy how they all have their own types. Thank you SO much!
Kelli says
Hi, you don’t know how often I have spent time wondering and asking about this, but I am not very good at figuring these things out. I just don’t know why they can’t make it easier on us and stop making so many different packaging like the 12, 20, 24 etc that all say equals what ever amount of a reg. roll.
I did pay attention to the square footage too. But your work on this makes me feel like I can stop questioning the company’s and get to buying the best deals. Thanks.
Russell says
Karrie,
What does the “TH” mean in your spreadsheet for the Toilet Paper analysis?
Thanks,
Russell
Brandi says
I think that means thickness-or “Ply”
homesteadmom2many says
I love great deals… for everything. Something for some to consider… as we have to is most of the brands that list high here are taboo for those of us on septic systems. Our Septic guy gave us a print out of the worst things to flush into your tank… and Kirkland TP as well as Scott and Charmin are on the list. We had to change laundry detergents, hand soaps,shampoo etc… so that our septic is in good working order. With 10 people using it… we have to take care of it. We will stick to cottonelle. it “breaks down” faster and better than any other brand. and its comfier than 1 ply anyway. 🙂 I love breaking things down for the best bargain… and even though I know I pay a little more for TP… I think it pays in the long run.
Chris says
What I like about Simply Value is that it is very smooth and doesn’t tear. Kirkland is much more tear-prone.
melinda says
Thank you! I just really love finding great deals. Now I will actually “know” what a great deal is for all the different kind of toilet paper! Yeah, you ROCK!
Karrie says
You’re welcome, so glad you love this! I do now have a paper towels price sheet now too for anyone who was interested! https://happymoneysaver.com/what-is-the-best-value-for-paper-towels
Dawnielle Westerman says
well..not to gross anyone out but we use family cloth here, and only pay about .86 for 4 rolls of TP a month. the reason is we live in an area with a septic system and after 14 yrs it is on its last leg! if we lived on public sewer however I would defiantly use this info…great stuff!!!
Sara says
Taking mathematical formula to a situation like this gets you two thumbs up from me!
OpAL says
BUT, the price per square foot comparison and heads-up on stockup prices is definitely awesome. Thanks for working so hard at this!
Karrie says
You’re welcome! I used to be able to get amazing deals on Scott toilet paper, but I think it wasnt the 1000 brand, it was a regular brand or something and it WAS horrible. But after trying this stuff, it isnt as great as the 2-3 ply but it gets the job done. 🙂
OpAL says
CHEAPER ISN’T ALWAYS BETTER. One of my first big coupon deals was Scott 1000. It was so bad we literally gave it to the food bank. It’s not cheaper if you have to use twice as much. Definitely not the best advice you have ever given………
Lori McK says
I am super excited to see the Paper Towels post!
Nerds Unite!
Linda T says
What is the 5th column? TH?
Karrie says
Yes, thickness or ply.
Donna says
I’m a 2-ply kinda girl, but hubby is definitely a 3 ply. I’ve tried to cut costs by buying less expensive brands before, but he complains….Since we’re OK financially (NOT great, but not starving either) he doesn’t understand why he should have to scrimp on TP!
Karrie says
Hi Debbie, yes the TH stands for Thickness/Ply. Oopsie, Yep, that 6 should have been a 2, just fixed it – thank you so much for letting me know!!! 🙂
Debbie says
Karrie,
Love it, thanks. Does ‘TH’ in your spreadsheet stand for thickness/ply? If so, is the ‘6’ for Walmart, Row 82, correct?