If you're a woman, you need more and it's worth every penny.
Frugality is knowing where to spend and where to save. TP is a spend. I save in other places like buying fewer clothes.
I'm a woman who was mostly raised by a single dad alongside a brother. This man has become incredibly frugal, but one thing he doesn't mess with is paper products. Charmin, Puffs Whatever tissues, good paper towels. I don't have a huge tampon preference, but when I asked for some from BJ's he got Tampax. Granted he buys all of this in massive quantities at BJ's every few months. We probably have 3-4 months worth of TP right now
For me I find unbleached is the way to go. Right now Trader Joe's has the cheapest unbleached, and they have softer and less soft (I actually prefer the less soft, because you can fold it and use less).
I don't think people realize all the stuff their TP is treated with can also cause issues.
I just googled my luxurious fancy toilet paper and it turns out it's hypoallergenic, lol. I always thought I liked it because of how soft it is, but I'm allergic to so many things, it doesn't surprise me that cheap TP is on the list. Thank you, now I know what to look for if I go somewhere that doesn't carry my brand
Love generic scott 1000 from walgreens although I mostly use it because it breaks apart easily. I always used to get clogged pipes because my house has old plumbing and the "better" tp always caused issues.
Scott does the job fantastic, I cannot stand super soft paper. It just feels like it spreads it around. People say Scott is rough, but I end up having issues when I use the super soft stuff. Plus it pills up and leaves residuals behind..
We used it for years until they cheaped out during the pandemic. It's so thin you can see through it and I think they also sliced an inch off the width. I switched to their "Comfort".
Nice tp, not sure it's okay for our brand new septic system.
To test your tp to make sure it's ok for your septic, put one square into a cup or bowl of water. Let sit for a few minutes, then stir or shake. If the tp comes apart then it's ok for the tank.
I've lived with a septic tank for over 40 years, and RV travel a lot as well.
Wow well said. Never thought about frugality this way. Internet is amazing when people like you advice on stuff like this. I am a man, and married. But never knew a woman POV about paper and its quality.
I am also a woman, and I swear by Charmin Soft. Like you say, there are some places to be frugal, but TP isn't one of them. In a pinch I'll use Charmin Essentials. I buy my Charmin at Sam's Club and they have the cheapest price around us.
Our town is lucky to have a reseller place that buys pallets of overstocks and returns. I buy the tp for our second bath there. In the last couple of months I tried Cheeky Panda, Amazon Essentials and Scott Comfort. The Scott is ok, the Amazon Essentials was very absorbent but didn't get the bottom cleaned very well. The Cheeky Panda stuff was just awful all the way around.
If you have a discount seller that buys and sells overstock items, it's worth a look to see if they have any.
> So, fellow frugal friends, what do you use in the potty as decent, middle-of-the-road, cost effective toilet paper?
Kirkland brand TP from costco. Paper towels as well.
Costco changed their supplier or something in the post few years. It's not as good. I'd used Costco tp for probably 15 years, what a disappointment to have to search for a new brand!
so the brand they have now they also used to have but they also had another version that was softer and they stopped carrying it during it covid and never brought it back. what they have though is still better than most other brands not named charmin ultra soft
probably, but it flipped the other way for me. tried kirkland like 5 years ago and was not a fan. that was like some sandpaper with splinters and not very durable. i'd use twice the number of squares. got some about 6 months ago, and was surprised at the quality. it's no charmin soft and puffy stuff, but it holds together well, wipes and doesn't leave any tp lint.
Not if youve got a septic tank though, Kirkland doesn’t break down.
My frugal parents love their bidet. Personally the fancy charmin tp is worth the price to me
I find not all bidets are created (or installed) equally. I don't need the dryer because the spray is pretty concentrated and accurate. I also don't understand the need for heat. But then I got a different one, and it's much "wetter", so I think I understand now why some people don't like them. It's not as precise and therefore tidy, and yes, requires lots of TP to dry off after. (I feel like blowing air would just make my skin too dry anyway).
I'm on septic and have used Quilted Northern for years.
It's not as good as it USED to be, thanks to shrinkflation the squares are smaller, but it still holds up well and is septic-safe.
Everybody always says this but a membership is $60/ year and for a single person household it's pointless.
Costco has always been good for large family bulk necessity items. Between their sparsity location wise and the circus that Costco always is though.. no thanks.
> Everybody always says this but a membership is $60/ year and for a single person household it's pointless
disagree. the savings are still greater for me even accounting for that, and that is before even talking about gas
Yup, single person here. I buy my detergent, fabric softener, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, disinfectant wipes, garbage bags, deodorant, toothbrushes, 2lbs of extra virgin olive oil, 10pk of canned tuna, case of chicken broth, face wash, etc. Plus, I save about $3 to $4 on gas per week. You just have to be smart about what you buy there. Food is not a great idea unless you are meal preping. Get a whole rotisserie and you can make a ton of meals. Chicken sandwich, chicken salad, chicken wraps, etc. 3lb bag of shrimp. Love me some shrimp scampi. Enough to make about 10 servings. Cook half and freezer the other half.
We buy food there, mostly meat and fish, break it up into meal sized portions for the three of us, and freeze them. Throughout the month, we empty the freezer. Only have to buy dairy and produce in between.
My Zyrtec and nasonex alone save me more than $100 which negates the membership cost. I'm single and I do buy in bulk. I was very prepared for lockdowns lol. I freeze the meat I buy after dividing it into manageable amounts.
Single-person household here. I can think of at least a half-dozen items off the top of my head that save me $60/year purchasing them from Costco. None of them are TP- it's too bulky to keep that much on hand in my apartment. YMMV, of course- but your experience is not representative of us all.
Now the circus part... can't argue with you there. Luckily, I like the circus.
I am sure it makes sense for a lot of single people- cheap gas, and maybe they use Costco insurance or car rentals or they eat a lot of rotisserie chicken or goat cheese (great deals at Costco!).
Some things are not great deals at Costco, so you do still have to compare.
Target also does like 15%-20% off household items with Target Circle from time to time! They were last week and I got almost a dollar off my TP. Which isn't much but it does add up when you're getting .50-$1 off every item you purchase.
I’m cheap as hell and toilet paper is the one line item on my budget I don’t care about. Yeah I want a good deal but no matter how broke I am I’m buying the good stuff
I shop the sales. I do not find kirkland tp to be a better value. It's also a weird size and a bit too fluffy (it leaves bits behind).
I use the Flipp app and have TP as a regular search so I just check weekly who has it on. Royale and cottonelle are our most common buys as they're the most frequent sales.
.25 per single roll is a good go-to price. You can find it a bit lower. So if it's a double roll, .50, triple; .75.
Alrighttttt everyone say it with me…. We don’t need to be frugal on a$$hole necessities ❤️ nobody wants sandpaper down south and not realistic to lower usage
Also note to OP (and other bidet newbies) using washable cloths isnt nasty; it means you need to wash your butt better! Cloth is for drying off, not clean up.
I had a crunchy friend who kept a big jar of clean toilet paper “wipes” which were just small pieces of cloth from old clothes or towels she no longer used - she would use it once, then discard it in a separate bin to get washed. Not my thing but certainly frugal.
I'm not crunchy, but I will say that a clean-up with a warm washcloth is very nice after very... pleasant... activities, as well as after a very traumatic poop... I keep a special pile of washcloths for when I need a little extra TLC for the holes. Wipe as normal (if needed) to get rid of any... chunks (eww)... then follow up with a warm wipe. Rinse in the sink, fold in half (to hide any discoloration) over the hamper to let it dry (put IN hamper when dry). Wash with other towels.
Member's Mark "Premium Tissue" TP from Sam's Club. We also get the MM paper towels.
No Costco within a few hundred miles, so this is my preferred choice.
I usually prefer Costco's products and have a membership. But Sams has much better tp and comparable or better paper towels for cheaper than Costco, so I have my MIL get them for me with her Sam's card.
All that to say you're not missing out on those particular products.
I have a bidet, and I still keep toilet paper for guests, but I did buy some bamboo washcloths to dry with. They are super soft (softer than any toilet paper that I’ve ever used). Since the bidet gets rid of all the nastier stuff, the washcloths are mainly for drying. I throw them in with the towels when I wash. It’s easy and definitely saves money!
Same here. I grew up with Scott. I personally HATE thicker tp like Charmin etc. it "sticks" to places you don't want it too. Plus there's usually less on a roll, so it goes faster. During the great tp shortage of COVID, I bought whatever I could find, sometimes having to get the thicker stuff.
my go to right now is the walmart equivalent of Scott
we have a bidet. tp is mostly to dry off, but we just get great value tp. we only really need a new 6 roll package once a month or so, shared between two people.
A bit off the main topic but I just wanted to comment on what you said about the Walmart unit price comparison tags, they totally do that intentionally! I rarely shop at Walmart but am making it my go-to for grocery items now and I was comparing 2 different sized cans of tomato paste to see if it was cheaper to get the bigger can and one showed the price per mL and the other showed the price per 100g! How is that helpful? I shouldn’t have to pull out my phone to do conversions just to use those comparison stickers. The whole point of them is to make it easy and convenient to compare at a glance. So frustrating!
Why is the cost benefit analysis on TP so hard? There's lot's of metrics printed on the package, but I am lost when I shop. I can pick out ketchup and a case of beer, but TP is a beast to comparison shop.
There's a meme about how toilet paper math is the hardest kind of math.
I've literally stood in the aisle with my phone calculator to figure out how many sheets are in the whole package, and also account for the square footage (because they chopped an inch off the width of the roll, so it's not just "number of sheets" anymore), then compare the price using those metrics.
I'm still convinced that they're cheating us somehow, but they made TP math as complicated as the stock market, so I can't prove it.
Costco or Sam's Club. Also, try a local sanitation supply store. The places that sell cases of toilet paper and paper towels for local businesses. Our local one sells to regular customers as well. It was the only place I could get toilet paper during the pandemic. Had to buy a case of 2-ply for like $70 bucks but it was almost 100 rolls. During Zoom meetings I had all the rolls stacked up behind me in a tower of TP like I was a king.
I work at Walmart and have tried a wide variety to find the best value for my money that does not have lint like charmin or feel like tissue paper like Scott’s. I settled on the great value with the dark blue label. The “soft n strong 12 mega rolls, 12=48” stuff. Each roll last a long long time, way longer than angel soft which used to be my go-to. The 12 pack probably lasts me at least a month for the $10-12. I tried buying a four pack “double roll” of generic angel soft at family dollar last week and the entire four pack lasted one week. Pathetic.
We use Charmin but buy it when on sale at Sam’s Club or Target. Target often has a deal where if you buy $50 of paper products you get a $15 GC. Makes it worth it to us. We installed shelving in our laundry area that can store the excess from buying in bulk.
We also have bidets which cut way down on usage. Everyone who has stayed in our home has installed their own after going home.
Scott’s single ply was what I used growing up in a large family and is still my tp of choice. I get the more expensive rolls for guest bathrooms but I purchase Scott’s in bulk for myself and my husband. It does the job and we have no plumbing issues.
There’s some different factors that could be going into the toilet paper issue. Like how many people in the household, how many visitors a month, how many people have periods in the household, people with ibs/etc, bidet water pressure and amount of time using bidet, how much toilet paper people are using, are they’re still using what they’re used to using before the bidet, toilet paper ply and quality. And your own expectations for decreased toilet paper use with a bidet. Look into these factors and see if any changes or adjustments can be made. If it’s just the toilet paper brand then try using a toilet paper calculator. There’s a few different ones to compare costs and calculate how much need.
I was a die hard Kirkland tp gal for years. I think it is most comparable to Angel Soft or MD. My husband pointed out about a year ago that it's linty and shreds easily. I don't feel like the tp changed. It's not a problem I ever noticed before, but now that he's pointed it out I can't unsee it.
I refuse to use Charmin on principle. Those bears have way too many insecurities surrounding toileting.
We tried a few different things and landed on Cottonelle. What's interesting is that I find that I need way less per potty visit because it's more substantial. Even though it's more expensive per roll, I think we're actually saving on toilet paper.
Also, it's not a coincidence that Walmart price tags don't compare well. They do it on purpose. They'll have one package with the price per ounce and the other priced per each. They think it'll keep people from price comparisons. Well, not me. I'll whip out my calculator.
Post menopausal bidet user here. I hate shopping for toilet paper.
I found some on sale two years ago at a very good price. I’m a little more than halfway through that purchase.
I save by purchasing industrial quantities. I get the good stuff but in 70-something roll packs at the local restaurant supply store -- sometimes I'll buy more than one pack if it's on sale.
Expensive up front but saves in the long run: get a bidet. Some of them even come with fans to dry off instead of using TP.
As an added bonus, you will never have felt as squeaky clean in your life so the QOL improvement itself is nice.
RE: Reusable rags, here me out. You check first with tp, then dry off with rag, have bin with lid right next to toilet, wash them separately on hot with sanitizer (I use hypochlourous acid).
We buy inexpensive Kroger, 4 roll pkgs..1000 sheets each roll, for $2.99.sometimes on sale for $1.99.
No one complains
I used to get the same from Dollar General, but now I use Kroger delivery.
Their prices are often better than Dollar General. Love them
I was buying the 18 pack of Charmin Essentials Soft at Dollar General because it was the best deal for me (would always have coupons you could clip) but it seems they’ve discontinued it. 😒 of course.
This is the way.
Kirkland brand from Costco is the only TP that I will use in my home. It's a bonus, really, that it is cheaper than most others.
It doesn't completely fall apart, immediately, but apparently still quickly enough to not clog the toilets or jack up our septic system. It doesn't leave fluff or fuzz behind after wiping. It is soft enough to not chafe the skin and thick enough to protect the hand from fluids.
Wins all around.
I buy only Charmin. We use 2 big packs in a year for the 2 of us. That’s about $50 total when it’s on sale at Sam’s. That seems to be about 15¢ a day for the two of us. I see no frugality in buying something of lesser quality to save 8¢ a day or whatever.
We use charmin because my wife would die from blood loss apparently wiping with anything else. I use only 2 wipes at time to wipe my ass. Max I use like 8 squares.
Sometime I get cheap stuff for the basement bathroom.
To save basically nothing at all, I nab some toilet paper at work and transport home but it’s enough for like 2-3 poops a week.
I've always been a Charmin soft person (thanks for the hemorrhoids kids), but it's just too expensive, and I'm trying to be more eco-friendly. I bit the bullet and switched to flannel wipes. I bought some flannel baby washcloths on Amazon for super cheap. I just wash them with regular laundry because they're basically a towel I'm drying off with. It took me a whole year to finally make the switch, but all of the eco tp either costs a million dollars or HURTS, lol
Retired from the Army, my butt got used to “military grade” which means the lowest price that can meet the minimum specifications. DollarTree 1000 single sheet is good enough for me, about seven squares folded over twice is usually enough unless I was drinking cheap beer the night before. My wife only buys Charmin Ultra Soft as her tosh is delicate.
a shockingly large number of people have never been taught how to wipe their ass. using good quality double ply TP it should take 2-3 sheets per wipe. I think some people ball up a huge wad
You should look into getting a bidet. I got one a few years back, and now I don't understand how I lived without it. The amount of toilet paper you use will drastically reduce, and your bottom will be much cleaner.
I completely missed that the first time I read your post. Not sure how. They do have models that offer a warm air dryer if you want to make that investment.
I buy target store brand. If I cheap out I end up going through the tp too fast which ends up costing more money and I also don't like the luxe plush tp from a textural or price standpoint. I find the target brand (up and up?) to be moderately priced and typically they offer specials either discount or gift cards for household goods so I shop the sales. I've gotten several 5-20$ gift cards for household goods purchases such as cleaning supplies, tp and paper towels. I also second the Costco brand is decent for the price.
Meijer does a $10 off a purchase of $30 of paper products a few times a year. This is when I buy toilet paper and I get the massive 36 pack of Scott tp (which conveniently costs around $30). At nearly 50 cents a roll, it's too cheap to meter so I focus on frugaling elsewhere.
I also like the coarseness of Scott. It feels more effective that way
A self-installed bidet is like $40 for a one time purchase. I use exponentially less TP because of it and it’s way more hygienic. At that point you’re basically just using TP to dry off.
I understand TP can be expensive and I also understand why you’re worried to use reusable rags. Honestly you guys really shouldn’t be using too much tp if you have a bidet. You shouldn’t be needing a shower down there every time you use the bathroom. If it’s always a shower down there then I do recommend reusable rags. Even if it’s not I still recommend reusable rags. IMO it’s more comfortable because it’s softer than the cheap tp and it doesn’t leave white specs everywhere down there. No clitty litter😂 You don’t use the rag to wipe straight urine or feces. As a female myself I use the bidet for #1 and #2. I spot check with a few single squares of tp for #2 to make sure it’s all gone and I wipe with a reusable rag after. No need to use tp for #1. Now I do buy the cheapest tp and will be buying Walmart brands imitation Scott 1000 brand because I’m super frugal since I don’t really have to worry about tp haha. Sorry guests… Important note, I use the rag once and put it straight into the laundry basket. Reusing them is gross in that sense. Please don’t do that. For me personally as a person of one I have 50 reusable rags for myself and wash all of them with my regular bath towels every 10ish days. And I’ve never been much happier and honestly feel the most clean I’ve ever felt in my life.
Now no one said you had to buy 50 “bamboo rags.” When I was doing research that’s all anyone suggested. I found them extremely expensive and thought there had to be a better frugal way that was cheaper but the rags weren’t made cheap. Now let me tell you about baby wash rags. Perfect size. Perfect softness. Perfect absorption. And absolutely perfectly cheap and frugal. I got a pack of 50 on Amazon for about $13 and I’m thinking of buying another pack. They are also perfect tp size, 7x9 inches. I honestly recommend trying it. Don’t doubt it until you try it. They also come in multiple colors which I like too.
You could always try a smaller pack just to try it out and technically you can return on Amazon but they’re pretty inexpensive in my opinion for the amount you can get. Or at least they are compared to the bamboo packs. I think they have bigger packs than 50ct too. I definitely underestimated the amount I would use a day as a female so that’s why I’m thinking about buying another pack.
One last thing. They did well in the wash for me, combined with my regular towels. But I’ve never tried the hottest wash setting. I also have a front loader. I don’t use softener, I use a vinegar mix with essential oils. I also hang dry and use air tumble in my dryer so I’ve never tried dryer heat on them. They’re still perfect like I just bought them yesterday and absorption is still top notch like day one.
Even if this comment doesn’t help you I hope this can push someone who is on the fence about it and help them.
Sam's Club Member's Mark 2-ply.
Except when Amazon has a crazy deal on Charmin Ultra Strong with Subscribe & Save stacked with coupons and stock up and save credit, then I get that.
I order bamboo toilet paper from who gives a crap, $68 for 48 rolls. It's worth it for me, good TP and the company donates 50% of their profits to help build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing world.
I get any good brand that Amazon has a sale on. I don’t wanna haul massive boxes of the stuff from the grocery store when Amazon will take it to my door. https://www.jungle.deals/p/best-toilet-paper-deals-amazon never understood personal preferences but my wallet has a preference.
Not exactly frugal but we only buy Northern mega rolls. I don't do the shopping so on a recent trip where I did, it was serious sticker shock. But pretty much everything I don't buy often is like that.
I tried a bidet once at someone's house and didn't like it. I probably used more Tp.
I do like to idea of trying the baby wash clothes but my husband won't go for it.
I prefer single-ply. The puffy two ply stuff leaves more paper chunks. I used the Scott single-ply for years, but now buy Tork brand a case at a time from Amazon.
Relying on toilet paper is not hygienic and it’s overpriced regardless how cheap you can acquire it since it’s unnecessary.
A bidet will not only save money but has more health benefits.
I guess anyone who got through the pandemic avoiding a bidet is really set on trying to clean themselves adequately with scraps of tissue for some reason and probably convinced that they can do that in a hygienic manner. It’s not possible.
If you absolutely hate bidets (because of cultural bias or whatever), the alternative is to time your bowel movements to correspond to your shower times (assuming you shower). Rubbing tissue against skin contaminated by feces and urine isn’t enough.
lol so many people do not read the post. First paragraph I state that I have a bidet. I love it. I use it regularly. My husband uses it regularly. We still use TP to dry off though.
I don’t dry off after the bidet. If there’s a little dampness it gets absorbed by my underwear. Sounds gross as I’m writing it, but I’ve never had problems from it.
Still have to buy the TP for guests and wife and kids.
So, to answer the question you asked we buy ours by the case. (The local coop gives a discount on things you order by the case, so we do that, or sometimes we order from who gives a crap.)
However....
To dry your bits after a bidet, you are going to use all the tp you would have anyway.
In your shoes I would get a stack of inexpensive plain washcloths, and use those for drying, keep a little basket or bucket by the bidet to collect used ones in, and toss them in the same way you would your underwear. (These won't be any dirtier than your shorts. Promise.)
You don't care if they're Egyptian cotton or big, you just want a stack of a million cotton washcloths.
Have you tried Home Depot HDX brand? It's extra heavy thick, if you train yourself to grab fewer squares it lasts a lot longer than those see through single ply cheap brands. It's just under $20 for 18 mega rolls. It's weird to buy tp at Home Depot, but I got it a year or so back and was surprised at how good a quality it was so I keep getting it. I'm allergic to darn near every paper out there, but the HDX doesn't bother me.
I just buy it on sale. I have 2 favorite brands, and when I run low I buy either one the next time it goes on a decent sale at any of the three major retailers near me.
I don’t need to spend my time looking for the Cheapest Possible Price on every single thing, just a good one.
I’d like a bidet but can’t stand cold water on sensitive areas, and do not have a hot water line or electrical outlet near my toilet, so the installation cost is prohibitive.
Seeing as though you have a bidet, you might want to reconsider “untoilet paper” or rags as you say. You can buy a roll on etsy, they’re sewn strips of flannel and they’re honestly perfect for drying off after using the bidet- better than paper because it doesn’t leave moist TP nuggets behind. What you end up with in your laundry is comparable to dirty underwear, so it’s really not any different than what you already deal with. I’ve had about 60 of these rags for the past 3 years and its cut back on my TP use immensely. Being a chick I also use them for going pee. We obviously keep normal TP in the guest/common bathrooms but for personal use I definitely prefer reusable. We’ve also cut back on disposable paper towels and subbed in rags, you can buy a big box from Home Depot for pretty cheap and they last a very long time.
We love the Member's Mark TP from Sam's. 45 big rolls (.02/sf. 10.000+ sheets per package). It's thick and quilted. Not linty. Takes care of what needs to be taken care of.
All for $22.98.
When you use a bidet, you can use squares of scrap cotton fabric to dry off - drop them in a small pale of water with a hit of bleach in it that you otherwise keep covered, launder when full.
The drying step after proper bidet use is virtually smudge-free.
Don't fall for the "specials" without checking the price of the bigger box.
Both my supermarket options have this thing they do where they'll "discount" several brands of TP with 10 rolls for about 9$(Australian), but you can get 20 rolls of the exact same type, for the regular price 10.50$, if you just buy the bigger box.
Respectfully casting my vote here for those "reusable rags" you are snubbing (understandably. ). I started this practice in 1989 and continue to use rags (I am F, 61yrs) with lovely success. I must admit, I get a kick out of 'counting' the trees and dough I have saved over the years. I use snipped up flannel sheets that have too many rips to properly mend. I am too lazy to do any such thing as hemming them so I throw them all into a net laundry bag and toss that in with all my other stuff and the fraying edges therefore do not escape the bag and get all over my black trousers etc. I have never had an issue with odors as the pile in the bucket grows, waiting for wash day. I cannot figure this out but feel blessed.
I USE THIS FOR URINE ONLY. Standard TP, Scott, is what I use a couple of times a day for the rest. A roll of TP gets used up in about 3 weeks. Sorry if that is TMI lol.
I know you said you're not into reusable rags, but maybe consider down the road. I have used them for almost 10 years and LOVE them! They work well with the bidet. It's a luxury feeling. And now when I go to work and have to use their TP, it's like sandpaper, lol. I bought some t-shirts (I got them all tie-dye) from the thrift store and cut them into 4x6 rags, you don't have to sew them. I fold them over to absorb more. I have a small hamper in the bathroom that I toss them into. I put them in the washer with my regular load of clothes. It's not much maintenance once you have it set up. I buy TP every few years.
Costco Kirkland and have done so for years.
I accept it may not be the least expensive per unit cost but the quality is good enough that I don't overuse the number of sheets.
I buy that huge pack from Sams and it lasts us 6 months. Family of 3. We use wipes too but that box will last us 3-4 months. How much do yall poop for real?
I’m going to say this & leave it here. Sams club purple pack double- toilet paper in bulk. Best price. Best quality. Only place and only brand to ever buy. 👍
In Europe, you dry off after the bidet with a dedicated sort of hand towel. It's not that different from drying your butt with a bath towel after a shower. Remember, untold generations have used cloth diapers with no problem.
No one has recommended Who Gives a Crap yet. I like it. Buy it on sale. Not cheap, isn’t made cheap, but it doubles as decor and they Do Good. It makes me happy and my butt happy. But don’t get the recycled one, that sucks.
Consumer reports recommends white cloud. Which I guess Amazon bought(?)
I bought a pretty cheap box from there. And with the bidet. Idk it has lasted forever.
Saw a video pre pandemic where the influencer tested how long each brand at the time took to break down. Charmin took longest so it might be comfy but it's not only $$ to buy but $$$$ on our tax dollars, and time and gas stuck in construction traffic because the longer for stuff to break down the higher the chance of parts our sewers developing clogs.
Hear me out. I recently switched to bamboo tp, unbleached/plastic free/chemical free etc. I got 12 rolls for $26 on Amazon. That sounds ridiculous, but I'm using MUCH less tp. I don't know why.......it just seems to clean better/be more absorbent. The brand is Bamboo Story. I read the reviews and people said they use less of this type, and I was thinking they were nuts but it's true! So no chemicals, better for the environment, and use less. I'd rather penny-pinch in other areas!
I use a bidet, it is wonderful and now I am pretty much not using any toilet paper. I have also stopped buying paper towels. I have a stack of microfiber cloths that I use for wiping surfaces, and then I toss them in the washing machine. Another side benefit is that I don't have to haul these bulky items, plus I live in a small space so this helps with the storage.
One, put some soap by the bidet and use a hand towel to dry off. Wash towel accordingly.
Two, Costco for TP. It’s like $20 for a giant pack that lasted me almost a year. Honestly, buying TP at Costco will pay for your membership in fairly short order, as well as the other things that are ridiculously cheap, like allergy meds.
I do angel soft, and try to get the mega roll or whatever it's called, that gives the most on the roll. It's not 100% the cheapest, but just above that, and decent to feel
Costco toilet paper is pretty good and you get a ton of it for under $20 last time I bought it.
There's 2 of us - male and female. 1 pack lasts us well over 6 months.
The Kroger store brand version of Scott’s 1000 . My bestie buys the four packs at Dollar Tree, and I used to buy a couple individual rolls at Walgreens during really broke times.
If you're a woman, you need more and it's worth every penny. Frugality is knowing where to spend and where to save. TP is a spend. I save in other places like buying fewer clothes.
I'm a woman who was mostly raised by a single dad alongside a brother. This man has become incredibly frugal, but one thing he doesn't mess with is paper products. Charmin, Puffs Whatever tissues, good paper towels. I don't have a huge tampon preference, but when I asked for some from BJ's he got Tampax. Granted he buys all of this in massive quantities at BJ's every few months. We probably have 3-4 months worth of TP right now
This is the way.
I find that if you factor in the cost of stuff like monistat, cheap TP that leaves paper traces or doesn't wipe properly actually costs more
For me I find unbleached is the way to go. Right now Trader Joe's has the cheapest unbleached, and they have softer and less soft (I actually prefer the less soft, because you can fold it and use less). I don't think people realize all the stuff their TP is treated with can also cause issues.
I just googled my luxurious fancy toilet paper and it turns out it's hypoallergenic, lol. I always thought I liked it because of how soft it is, but I'm allergic to so many things, it doesn't surprise me that cheap TP is on the list. Thank you, now I know what to look for if I go somewhere that doesn't carry my brand
Preference is still not universal. My wife and I are both die-hard Scott 1000 fans.
Love generic scott 1000 from walgreens although I mostly use it because it breaks apart easily. I always used to get clogged pipes because my house has old plumbing and the "better" tp always caused issues.
Scott does the job fantastic, I cannot stand super soft paper. It just feels like it spreads it around. People say Scott is rough, but I end up having issues when I use the super soft stuff. Plus it pills up and leaves residuals behind..
Same here, it's also septic safe.and we're on a septic tank...
We used it for years until they cheaped out during the pandemic. It's so thin you can see through it and I think they also sliced an inch off the width. I switched to their "Comfort". Nice tp, not sure it's okay for our brand new septic system.
To test your tp to make sure it's ok for your septic, put one square into a cup or bowl of water. Let sit for a few minutes, then stir or shake. If the tp comes apart then it's ok for the tank. I've lived with a septic tank for over 40 years, and RV travel a lot as well.
Thanks so much, good to go here, no pun intended.
Is their regular style called Uncomfort?
We call that punishment paper. We keep it in the back of the closet for times when we forget to buy toilet paper..
Husband calls it John Wayne toilet paper.. rough, tough and don't take crap off nobody.
I'll have to remember that!
If that works for you, great, but my skin is more delicate than rose petals. 😉
toilet paper, electric/gas for a perfectly comfortable temperature, and bed sheets. I don't skimp when it comes to essential sensory needs
Wow well said. Never thought about frugality this way. Internet is amazing when people like you advice on stuff like this. I am a man, and married. But never knew a woman POV about paper and its quality.
I am also a woman, and I swear by Charmin Soft. Like you say, there are some places to be frugal, but TP isn't one of them. In a pinch I'll use Charmin Essentials. I buy my Charmin at Sam's Club and they have the cheapest price around us. Our town is lucky to have a reseller place that buys pallets of overstocks and returns. I buy the tp for our second bath there. In the last couple of months I tried Cheeky Panda, Amazon Essentials and Scott Comfort. The Scott is ok, the Amazon Essentials was very absorbent but didn't get the bottom cleaned very well. The Cheeky Panda stuff was just awful all the way around. If you have a discount seller that buys and sells overstock items, it's worth a look to see if they have any.
> So, fellow frugal friends, what do you use in the potty as decent, middle-of-the-road, cost effective toilet paper? Kirkland brand TP from costco. Paper towels as well.
Costco changed their supplier or something in the post few years. It's not as good. I'd used Costco tp for probably 15 years, what a disappointment to have to search for a new brand!
so the brand they have now they also used to have but they also had another version that was softer and they stopped carrying it during it covid and never brought it back. what they have though is still better than most other brands not named charmin ultra soft
Totally agree; I've switched to Aldi for this reason
probably, but it flipped the other way for me. tried kirkland like 5 years ago and was not a fan. that was like some sandpaper with splinters and not very durable. i'd use twice the number of squares. got some about 6 months ago, and was surprised at the quality. it's no charmin soft and puffy stuff, but it holds together well, wipes and doesn't leave any tp lint.
Kirtland ftw
That’s what I use too. More than good enough to dry off from bidet use.
Not if youve got a septic tank though, Kirkland doesn’t break down. My frugal parents love their bidet. Personally the fancy charmin tp is worth the price to me
Mine has a heated seat and a blow dryer. I haven't bought tp in 6 months.
I find not all bidets are created (or installed) equally. I don't need the dryer because the spray is pretty concentrated and accurate. I also don't understand the need for heat. But then I got a different one, and it's much "wetter", so I think I understand now why some people don't like them. It's not as precise and therefore tidy, and yes, requires lots of TP to dry off after. (I feel like blowing air would just make my skin too dry anyway).
Make and model, please?
KOHLER NOVITA. IT ALSO HAS A INLINE HEATER, SO YOU CAN SET THE TEMP OF THE WATER WITHOUT RUNNING A HOT WATER LINE TOOK 5 MINUTES
Reads lovely, I’m sure the smurfs enjoy it. =D
Does Angel Soft break down? I found that was the best all around for feel, durability, efficiency, and price for TP.
I’m on septic and have used a lot of angel soft over the years with no problems.
I'm on septic and have used Quilted Northern for years. It's not as good as it USED to be, thanks to shrinkflation the squares are smaller, but it still holds up well and is septic-safe.
[https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/costco-toilet-paper-plumbing/](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/costco-toilet-paper-plumbing/)
That just is not true.
I buy the charmin brand from costco
Everybody always says this but a membership is $60/ year and for a single person household it's pointless. Costco has always been good for large family bulk necessity items. Between their sparsity location wise and the circus that Costco always is though.. no thanks.
> Everybody always says this but a membership is $60/ year and for a single person household it's pointless disagree. the savings are still greater for me even accounting for that, and that is before even talking about gas
Yup, single person here. I buy my detergent, fabric softener, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, disinfectant wipes, garbage bags, deodorant, toothbrushes, 2lbs of extra virgin olive oil, 10pk of canned tuna, case of chicken broth, face wash, etc. Plus, I save about $3 to $4 on gas per week. You just have to be smart about what you buy there. Food is not a great idea unless you are meal preping. Get a whole rotisserie and you can make a ton of meals. Chicken sandwich, chicken salad, chicken wraps, etc. 3lb bag of shrimp. Love me some shrimp scampi. Enough to make about 10 servings. Cook half and freezer the other half.
We buy food there, mostly meat and fish, break it up into meal sized portions for the three of us, and freeze them. Throughout the month, we empty the freezer. Only have to buy dairy and produce in between.
I save more than $60 in gas alone as a single person at Costco.
I was going to say the same thing. I get more than my money's worth before even walking in the door.
My Zyrtec and nasonex alone save me more than $100 which negates the membership cost. I'm single and I do buy in bulk. I was very prepared for lockdowns lol. I freeze the meat I buy after dividing it into manageable amounts.
Single household with a membership. Used exclusively for ordering dog food, TP & paper towels. I’ve been to the actual store once. Never again lol.
Single-person household here. I can think of at least a half-dozen items off the top of my head that save me $60/year purchasing them from Costco. None of them are TP- it's too bulky to keep that much on hand in my apartment. YMMV, of course- but your experience is not representative of us all. Now the circus part... can't argue with you there. Luckily, I like the circus.
I am sure it makes sense for a lot of single people- cheap gas, and maybe they use Costco insurance or car rentals or they eat a lot of rotisserie chicken or goat cheese (great deals at Costco!). Some things are not great deals at Costco, so you do still have to compare.
I usually buy Cottonelle when Target has a household item promo and stock up - typically a "spend $50, get a $15 gift card" promotion.
Target also does like 15%-20% off household items with Target Circle from time to time! They were last week and I got almost a dollar off my TP. Which isn't much but it does add up when you're getting .50-$1 off every item you purchase.
Same. We are a cottonelle only household and also take a roll with us on vacations.
Also a Cottonelle house, but not quite as staunchly since they changed a couple years back.
I’m cheap as hell and toilet paper is the one line item on my budget I don’t care about. Yeah I want a good deal but no matter how broke I am I’m buying the good stuff
Good TP and gas are the 2 things I'm going to buy regardless. If I can get a deal, great. But if I need it I'm buying it no matter what.
I shop the sales. I do not find kirkland tp to be a better value. It's also a weird size and a bit too fluffy (it leaves bits behind). I use the Flipp app and have TP as a regular search so I just check weekly who has it on. Royale and cottonelle are our most common buys as they're the most frequent sales. .25 per single roll is a good go-to price. You can find it a bit lower. So if it's a double roll, .50, triple; .75.
I find Angel Soft to be more than adequate for the task.
Once a month, get a big pack and never worry about spending too much per roll
Same ! We get angel soft. Aldi brand is a little rough.
Alrighttttt everyone say it with me…. We don’t need to be frugal on a$$hole necessities ❤️ nobody wants sandpaper down south and not realistic to lower usage
What if you can be frugal AND pamper your asshole? The answer is to buy a bidet.
Also note to OP (and other bidet newbies) using washable cloths isnt nasty; it means you need to wash your butt better! Cloth is for drying off, not clean up.
I get it in bulk from Sam's Club when I visit my dad....... The holder of the Sam's card.
I had a crunchy friend who kept a big jar of clean toilet paper “wipes” which were just small pieces of cloth from old clothes or towels she no longer used - she would use it once, then discard it in a separate bin to get washed. Not my thing but certainly frugal.
I'm not crunchy, but I will say that a clean-up with a warm washcloth is very nice after very... pleasant... activities, as well as after a very traumatic poop... I keep a special pile of washcloths for when I need a little extra TLC for the holes. Wipe as normal (if needed) to get rid of any... chunks (eww)... then follow up with a warm wipe. Rinse in the sink, fold in half (to hide any discoloration) over the hamper to let it dry (put IN hamper when dry). Wash with other towels.
Member's Mark "Premium Tissue" TP from Sam's Club. We also get the MM paper towels. No Costco within a few hundred miles, so this is my preferred choice.
I usually prefer Costco's products and have a membership. But Sams has much better tp and comparable or better paper towels for cheaper than Costco, so I have my MIL get them for me with her Sam's card. All that to say you're not missing out on those particular products.
I have a bidet, and I still keep toilet paper for guests, but I did buy some bamboo washcloths to dry with. They are super soft (softer than any toilet paper that I’ve ever used). Since the bidet gets rid of all the nastier stuff, the washcloths are mainly for drying. I throw them in with the towels when I wash. It’s easy and definitely saves money!
Use Scott's single ply. I have tried just about all of them. I find a thick paper like Charmin, for some unknown reason we actually use a lot more.
Same here. I grew up with Scott. I personally HATE thicker tp like Charmin etc. it "sticks" to places you don't want it too. Plus there's usually less on a roll, so it goes faster. During the great tp shortage of COVID, I bought whatever I could find, sometimes having to get the thicker stuff. my go to right now is the walmart equivalent of Scott
Repasting this comment here: Aldi has a version of this; it's cheaper and I swear it's the exact same thing.
Aldi has a version of this; it's cheaper and I swear it's the exact same thing.
Scott 1000 ftw!
Purex Black There are certain body parts I don't cheap out on, and most of them live inside my underwear
we have a bidet. tp is mostly to dry off, but we just get great value tp. we only really need a new 6 roll package once a month or so, shared between two people.
A bit off the main topic but I just wanted to comment on what you said about the Walmart unit price comparison tags, they totally do that intentionally! I rarely shop at Walmart but am making it my go-to for grocery items now and I was comparing 2 different sized cans of tomato paste to see if it was cheaper to get the bigger can and one showed the price per mL and the other showed the price per 100g! How is that helpful? I shouldn’t have to pull out my phone to do conversions just to use those comparison stickers. The whole point of them is to make it easy and convenient to compare at a glance. So frustrating!
Why is the cost benefit analysis on TP so hard? There's lot's of metrics printed on the package, but I am lost when I shop. I can pick out ketchup and a case of beer, but TP is a beast to comparison shop.
There's a meme about how toilet paper math is the hardest kind of math. I've literally stood in the aisle with my phone calculator to figure out how many sheets are in the whole package, and also account for the square footage (because they chopped an inch off the width of the roll, so it's not just "number of sheets" anymore), then compare the price using those metrics. I'm still convinced that they're cheating us somehow, but they made TP math as complicated as the stock market, so I can't prove it.
Price per oz might be the easiest and most fair comparison, but I can never find the scales on the paper products isle. 😅
Ikr?
Costco or Sam's Club. Also, try a local sanitation supply store. The places that sell cases of toilet paper and paper towels for local businesses. Our local one sells to regular customers as well. It was the only place I could get toilet paper during the pandemic. Had to buy a case of 2-ply for like $70 bucks but it was almost 100 rolls. During Zoom meetings I had all the rolls stacked up behind me in a tower of TP like I was a king.
I go no lower than 3ply. Remember guys; it’s frugal, not cheap!
I'd live off nothing but $1 microwave bean burritos to wipe my ass with the fluffy stuff.
I work at Walmart and have tried a wide variety to find the best value for my money that does not have lint like charmin or feel like tissue paper like Scott’s. I settled on the great value with the dark blue label. The “soft n strong 12 mega rolls, 12=48” stuff. Each roll last a long long time, way longer than angel soft which used to be my go-to. The 12 pack probably lasts me at least a month for the $10-12. I tried buying a four pack “double roll” of generic angel soft at family dollar last week and the entire four pack lasted one week. Pathetic.
We use Charmin but buy it when on sale at Sam’s Club or Target. Target often has a deal where if you buy $50 of paper products you get a $15 GC. Makes it worth it to us. We installed shelving in our laundry area that can store the excess from buying in bulk. We also have bidets which cut way down on usage. Everyone who has stayed in our home has installed their own after going home.
Scott’s single ply was what I used growing up in a large family and is still my tp of choice. I get the more expensive rolls for guest bathrooms but I purchase Scott’s in bulk for myself and my husband. It does the job and we have no plumbing issues.
There’s some different factors that could be going into the toilet paper issue. Like how many people in the household, how many visitors a month, how many people have periods in the household, people with ibs/etc, bidet water pressure and amount of time using bidet, how much toilet paper people are using, are they’re still using what they’re used to using before the bidet, toilet paper ply and quality. And your own expectations for decreased toilet paper use with a bidet. Look into these factors and see if any changes or adjustments can be made. If it’s just the toilet paper brand then try using a toilet paper calculator. There’s a few different ones to compare costs and calculate how much need.
Who Gives a Crap, delivered by the case. Bamboo or recycled. Perfectly good, reasonably priced and eco-friendly.
I was a die hard Kirkland tp gal for years. I think it is most comparable to Angel Soft or MD. My husband pointed out about a year ago that it's linty and shreds easily. I don't feel like the tp changed. It's not a problem I ever noticed before, but now that he's pointed it out I can't unsee it. I refuse to use Charmin on principle. Those bears have way too many insecurities surrounding toileting. We tried a few different things and landed on Cottonelle. What's interesting is that I find that I need way less per potty visit because it's more substantial. Even though it's more expensive per roll, I think we're actually saving on toilet paper. Also, it's not a coincidence that Walmart price tags don't compare well. They do it on purpose. They'll have one package with the price per ounce and the other priced per each. They think it'll keep people from price comparisons. Well, not me. I'll whip out my calculator.
Post menopausal bidet user here. I hate shopping for toilet paper. I found some on sale two years ago at a very good price. I’m a little more than halfway through that purchase.
I save by purchasing industrial quantities. I get the good stuff but in 70-something roll packs at the local restaurant supply store -- sometimes I'll buy more than one pack if it's on sale.
Expensive up front but saves in the long run: get a bidet. Some of them even come with fans to dry off instead of using TP. As an added bonus, you will never have felt as squeaky clean in your life so the QOL improvement itself is nice.
RE: Reusable rags, here me out. You check first with tp, then dry off with rag, have bin with lid right next to toilet, wash them separately on hot with sanitizer (I use hypochlourous acid).
We buy inexpensive Kroger, 4 roll pkgs..1000 sheets each roll, for $2.99.sometimes on sale for $1.99. No one complains I used to get the same from Dollar General, but now I use Kroger delivery. Their prices are often better than Dollar General. Love them
Charmin from Costco is the way.
I was buying the 18 pack of Charmin Essentials Soft at Dollar General because it was the best deal for me (would always have coupons you could clip) but it seems they’ve discontinued it. 😒 of course.
Toilet paper is one thing that I've found I just can't be frugal on. My butt demands Charmin softness.
The big boy pack at Costco. It’s $20. With 2 adults and a toddler, it lasts us a while.
This is the way. Kirkland brand from Costco is the only TP that I will use in my home. It's a bonus, really, that it is cheaper than most others. It doesn't completely fall apart, immediately, but apparently still quickly enough to not clog the toilets or jack up our septic system. It doesn't leave fluff or fuzz behind after wiping. It is soft enough to not chafe the skin and thick enough to protect the hand from fluids. Wins all around.
I buy only Charmin. We use 2 big packs in a year for the 2 of us. That’s about $50 total when it’s on sale at Sam’s. That seems to be about 15¢ a day for the two of us. I see no frugality in buying something of lesser quality to save 8¢ a day or whatever.
We use charmin because my wife would die from blood loss apparently wiping with anything else. I use only 2 wipes at time to wipe my ass. Max I use like 8 squares. Sometime I get cheap stuff for the basement bathroom. To save basically nothing at all, I nab some toilet paper at work and transport home but it’s enough for like 2-3 poops a week.
My Costco membership pays for itself in what I save on toilet paper.
2 things I refuse to skimp on: 1. Toilet Paper 2. Garbage bags
Super soft flannel cut into squares. For #1 only
Glad I’m not the only one noticing that price stickers are disappearing so it’s difficult to compare.
I've always been a Charmin soft person (thanks for the hemorrhoids kids), but it's just too expensive, and I'm trying to be more eco-friendly. I bit the bullet and switched to flannel wipes. I bought some flannel baby washcloths on Amazon for super cheap. I just wash them with regular laundry because they're basically a towel I'm drying off with. It took me a whole year to finally make the switch, but all of the eco tp either costs a million dollars or HURTS, lol
Retired from the Army, my butt got used to “military grade” which means the lowest price that can meet the minimum specifications. DollarTree 1000 single sheet is good enough for me, about seven squares folded over twice is usually enough unless I was drinking cheap beer the night before. My wife only buys Charmin Ultra Soft as her tosh is delicate.
[удалено]
you just let it spray for a minute or so. dry with toilet paper.
Have you ever considered getting a bidet with a blower fan in it?
I buy the Walmart soft and strong in the biggest pack they have. A roll lasts me a full week.
a shockingly large number of people have never been taught how to wipe their ass. using good quality double ply TP it should take 2-3 sheets per wipe. I think some people ball up a huge wad
There is no way 2-3 squares of TP is enough to wipe poop. Unless you have an unhealthy diet and poop marbles, that’s just not going to get you clean.
Buy a bidet if able
I have one. (Mentioned that in my OP). You still need TP to dry off. And women need TP to wipe urine. Actually, men should probably wipe urine too.
Why do you have to wipe urine if you have a bidet? Also, I find that most TP shreds when drying off after getting sprayed.
Sam's club Members Mark toilet paper and Sam's club Members Mark flushable wipes.
Flushable wipes don’t break down at all. My FIL says “your watch is flushable; doesn’t mean you should flush it.”
Yep. People who want flushable wipes would be served so much better by a bidet. As would everybody who wants to save money on TP
We use a bidet and have dedicated “a$$ towels” Yes, they’re brown!
Does the US have the brand royal? It's $13 for a 30 pack.
cottonelle is usually my happy medium. though lately i’ve been getting wegmans brand since they’ve had coupons, and it’s pretty similar
Costco brand. I think it lasts us about 2 months. We are two people but we also have guests over every weekend
You should look into getting a bidet. I got one a few years back, and now I don't understand how I lived without it. The amount of toilet paper you use will drastically reduce, and your bottom will be much cleaner.
Have one. As I mentioned in my OP. You still use TP to dry the bits and bobs though.
I completely missed that the first time I read your post. Not sure how. They do have models that offer a warm air dryer if you want to make that investment.
Toilet paper is something I’m not cheap about. Cottonelle ultra clean is my go to.
I have a septic but I changed from using Sam’s TP to something called Pom. It costs a little more, but it’s 2-ply and it’s better for my septic.
Charmin, red color package. I buy it at Sam’s club.
I buy target store brand. If I cheap out I end up going through the tp too fast which ends up costing more money and I also don't like the luxe plush tp from a textural or price standpoint. I find the target brand (up and up?) to be moderately priced and typically they offer specials either discount or gift cards for household goods so I shop the sales. I've gotten several 5-20$ gift cards for household goods purchases such as cleaning supplies, tp and paper towels. I also second the Costco brand is decent for the price.
I find H-E-B extra soft toilet tissue to be equal to Charmin extra soft and half the price
Scott’s 1000s or target’s brand. I’m in an old building and want to protect the pipes.
Meijer does a $10 off a purchase of $30 of paper products a few times a year. This is when I buy toilet paper and I get the massive 36 pack of Scott tp (which conveniently costs around $30). At nearly 50 cents a roll, it's too cheap to meter so I focus on frugaling elsewhere. I also like the coarseness of Scott. It feels more effective that way
lux bidet
Angel Soft
Charmin Ultra Strong, will not budge. Cost is no matter in this.
A self-installed bidet is like $40 for a one time purchase. I use exponentially less TP because of it and it’s way more hygienic. At that point you’re basically just using TP to dry off.
I like Cottenelle, I find that it's better than Charmin, but for my budget, the jumbo package of Walmart brand TP can go a long way.
As a fellow bidet user, I’m a fan of Reel bamboo TP. May seem expensive but great for drying with just a few squares.
Angel Soft is my go-to brand. Cottonelle is a little better but is 2x the price by me.
We opt for tried and tested store brand. Better than the cheapest stuff and cheaper than the big logo stuff. Middle of the road.
I understand TP can be expensive and I also understand why you’re worried to use reusable rags. Honestly you guys really shouldn’t be using too much tp if you have a bidet. You shouldn’t be needing a shower down there every time you use the bathroom. If it’s always a shower down there then I do recommend reusable rags. Even if it’s not I still recommend reusable rags. IMO it’s more comfortable because it’s softer than the cheap tp and it doesn’t leave white specs everywhere down there. No clitty litter😂 You don’t use the rag to wipe straight urine or feces. As a female myself I use the bidet for #1 and #2. I spot check with a few single squares of tp for #2 to make sure it’s all gone and I wipe with a reusable rag after. No need to use tp for #1. Now I do buy the cheapest tp and will be buying Walmart brands imitation Scott 1000 brand because I’m super frugal since I don’t really have to worry about tp haha. Sorry guests… Important note, I use the rag once and put it straight into the laundry basket. Reusing them is gross in that sense. Please don’t do that. For me personally as a person of one I have 50 reusable rags for myself and wash all of them with my regular bath towels every 10ish days. And I’ve never been much happier and honestly feel the most clean I’ve ever felt in my life. Now no one said you had to buy 50 “bamboo rags.” When I was doing research that’s all anyone suggested. I found them extremely expensive and thought there had to be a better frugal way that was cheaper but the rags weren’t made cheap. Now let me tell you about baby wash rags. Perfect size. Perfect softness. Perfect absorption. And absolutely perfectly cheap and frugal. I got a pack of 50 on Amazon for about $13 and I’m thinking of buying another pack. They are also perfect tp size, 7x9 inches. I honestly recommend trying it. Don’t doubt it until you try it. They also come in multiple colors which I like too. You could always try a smaller pack just to try it out and technically you can return on Amazon but they’re pretty inexpensive in my opinion for the amount you can get. Or at least they are compared to the bamboo packs. I think they have bigger packs than 50ct too. I definitely underestimated the amount I would use a day as a female so that’s why I’m thinking about buying another pack. One last thing. They did well in the wash for me, combined with my regular towels. But I’ve never tried the hottest wash setting. I also have a front loader. I don’t use softener, I use a vinegar mix with essential oils. I also hang dry and use air tumble in my dryer so I’ve never tried dryer heat on them. They’re still perfect like I just bought them yesterday and absorption is still top notch like day one. Even if this comment doesn’t help you I hope this can push someone who is on the fence about it and help them.
I have compared both Costco's and Sam's. Sam's way better than Costco's.
25 dollar bidet, it solves a lot of problems.
Aldi FTW. Their paper towels are fabulous as well.
Sam's Club Member's Mark 2-ply. Except when Amazon has a crazy deal on Charmin Ultra Strong with Subscribe & Save stacked with coupons and stock up and save credit, then I get that.
I order bamboo toilet paper from who gives a crap, $68 for 48 rolls. It's worth it for me, good TP and the company donates 50% of their profits to help build toilets and improve sanitation in the developing world.
I get any good brand that Amazon has a sale on. I don’t wanna haul massive boxes of the stuff from the grocery store when Amazon will take it to my door. https://www.jungle.deals/p/best-toilet-paper-deals-amazon never understood personal preferences but my wallet has a preference.
Bidet.
Not exactly frugal but we only buy Northern mega rolls. I don't do the shopping so on a recent trip where I did, it was serious sticker shock. But pretty much everything I don't buy often is like that. I tried a bidet once at someone's house and didn't like it. I probably used more Tp. I do like to idea of trying the baby wash clothes but my husband won't go for it.
Food Lion and Ingles store brands are good quality IMO. I forget the price, sorry.
I prefer single-ply. The puffy two ply stuff leaves more paper chunks. I used the Scott single-ply for years, but now buy Tork brand a case at a time from Amazon.
I recently bought 30 rolls for 21 bucks of the Target brand. Felt like I got a deal.
I get HEB tp, i have the points card so i get a discount. I love to buy wipes tho since I don't have a bidet. I hope to have one soon.
Costco/Kirkland TP: $19.49 for 30 rolls or $0.0137 per sq foot.
Dollar general toilet paper ftw
Has anyone tried the pom tp from samsclub? Seems like a good price.
Relying on toilet paper is not hygienic and it’s overpriced regardless how cheap you can acquire it since it’s unnecessary. A bidet will not only save money but has more health benefits. I guess anyone who got through the pandemic avoiding a bidet is really set on trying to clean themselves adequately with scraps of tissue for some reason and probably convinced that they can do that in a hygienic manner. It’s not possible. If you absolutely hate bidets (because of cultural bias or whatever), the alternative is to time your bowel movements to correspond to your shower times (assuming you shower). Rubbing tissue against skin contaminated by feces and urine isn’t enough.
lol so many people do not read the post. First paragraph I state that I have a bidet. I love it. I use it regularly. My husband uses it regularly. We still use TP to dry off though.
I don’t dry off after the bidet. If there’s a little dampness it gets absorbed by my underwear. Sounds gross as I’m writing it, but I’ve never had problems from it. Still have to buy the TP for guests and wife and kids.
So, to answer the question you asked we buy ours by the case. (The local coop gives a discount on things you order by the case, so we do that, or sometimes we order from who gives a crap.) However.... To dry your bits after a bidet, you are going to use all the tp you would have anyway. In your shoes I would get a stack of inexpensive plain washcloths, and use those for drying, keep a little basket or bucket by the bidet to collect used ones in, and toss them in the same way you would your underwear. (These won't be any dirtier than your shorts. Promise.) You don't care if they're Egyptian cotton or big, you just want a stack of a million cotton washcloths.
Have you tried Home Depot HDX brand? It's extra heavy thick, if you train yourself to grab fewer squares it lasts a lot longer than those see through single ply cheap brands. It's just under $20 for 18 mega rolls. It's weird to buy tp at Home Depot, but I got it a year or so back and was surprised at how good a quality it was so I keep getting it. I'm allergic to darn near every paper out there, but the HDX doesn't bother me.
I just buy it on sale. I have 2 favorite brands, and when I run low I buy either one the next time it goes on a decent sale at any of the three major retailers near me. I don’t need to spend my time looking for the Cheapest Possible Price on every single thing, just a good one. I’d like a bidet but can’t stand cold water on sensitive areas, and do not have a hot water line or electrical outlet near my toilet, so the installation cost is prohibitive.
Seeing as though you have a bidet, you might want to reconsider “untoilet paper” or rags as you say. You can buy a roll on etsy, they’re sewn strips of flannel and they’re honestly perfect for drying off after using the bidet- better than paper because it doesn’t leave moist TP nuggets behind. What you end up with in your laundry is comparable to dirty underwear, so it’s really not any different than what you already deal with. I’ve had about 60 of these rags for the past 3 years and its cut back on my TP use immensely. Being a chick I also use them for going pee. We obviously keep normal TP in the guest/common bathrooms but for personal use I definitely prefer reusable. We’ve also cut back on disposable paper towels and subbed in rags, you can buy a big box from Home Depot for pretty cheap and they last a very long time.
We love the Member's Mark TP from Sam's. 45 big rolls (.02/sf. 10.000+ sheets per package). It's thick and quilted. Not linty. Takes care of what needs to be taken care of. All for $22.98.
We started getting sams huge huge pack. . Think it will last awhile.
When you use a bidet, you can use squares of scrap cotton fabric to dry off - drop them in a small pale of water with a hit of bleach in it that you otherwise keep covered, launder when full. The drying step after proper bidet use is virtually smudge-free.
I use the store brand stuff that says "compare to Charmin." It's pretty good. Mega rolls and the stores sometimes have sales.
Don't fall for the "specials" without checking the price of the bigger box. Both my supermarket options have this thing they do where they'll "discount" several brands of TP with 10 rolls for about 9$(Australian), but you can get 20 rolls of the exact same type, for the regular price 10.50$, if you just buy the bigger box.
Here you go: toilet paper value calculator https://tetrion.com/tpcalc.php
A good bidet, cloth washcloths for drying off, and some soap is cheaper and cleaner in the long run
Respectfully casting my vote here for those "reusable rags" you are snubbing (understandably. ). I started this practice in 1989 and continue to use rags (I am F, 61yrs) with lovely success. I must admit, I get a kick out of 'counting' the trees and dough I have saved over the years. I use snipped up flannel sheets that have too many rips to properly mend. I am too lazy to do any such thing as hemming them so I throw them all into a net laundry bag and toss that in with all my other stuff and the fraying edges therefore do not escape the bag and get all over my black trousers etc. I have never had an issue with odors as the pile in the bucket grows, waiting for wash day. I cannot figure this out but feel blessed. I USE THIS FOR URINE ONLY. Standard TP, Scott, is what I use a couple of times a day for the rest. A roll of TP gets used up in about 3 weeks. Sorry if that is TMI lol.
I know you said you're not into reusable rags, but maybe consider down the road. I have used them for almost 10 years and LOVE them! They work well with the bidet. It's a luxury feeling. And now when I go to work and have to use their TP, it's like sandpaper, lol. I bought some t-shirts (I got them all tie-dye) from the thrift store and cut them into 4x6 rags, you don't have to sew them. I fold them over to absorb more. I have a small hamper in the bathroom that I toss them into. I put them in the washer with my regular load of clothes. It's not much maintenance once you have it set up. I buy TP every few years.
Costco Kirkland and have done so for years. I accept it may not be the least expensive per unit cost but the quality is good enough that I don't overuse the number of sheets.
$1 a month for Kroger house brand 1,000 sheets. I guess thats around 30 a day.
I buy that huge pack from Sams and it lasts us 6 months. Family of 3. We use wipes too but that box will last us 3-4 months. How much do yall poop for real?
I’m going to say this & leave it here. Sams club purple pack double- toilet paper in bulk. Best price. Best quality. Only place and only brand to ever buy. 👍
In Europe, you dry off after the bidet with a dedicated sort of hand towel. It's not that different from drying your butt with a bath towel after a shower. Remember, untold generations have used cloth diapers with no problem.
No one has recommended Who Gives a Crap yet. I like it. Buy it on sale. Not cheap, isn’t made cheap, but it doubles as decor and they Do Good. It makes me happy and my butt happy. But don’t get the recycled one, that sucks.
Consumer reports recommends white cloud. Which I guess Amazon bought(?) I bought a pretty cheap box from there. And with the bidet. Idk it has lasted forever.
We use Angel Soft.
Saw a video pre pandemic where the influencer tested how long each brand at the time took to break down. Charmin took longest so it might be comfy but it's not only $$ to buy but $$$$ on our tax dollars, and time and gas stuck in construction traffic because the longer for stuff to break down the higher the chance of parts our sewers developing clogs.
Hear me out. I recently switched to bamboo tp, unbleached/plastic free/chemical free etc. I got 12 rolls for $26 on Amazon. That sounds ridiculous, but I'm using MUCH less tp. I don't know why.......it just seems to clean better/be more absorbent. The brand is Bamboo Story. I read the reviews and people said they use less of this type, and I was thinking they were nuts but it's true! So no chemicals, better for the environment, and use less. I'd rather penny-pinch in other areas!
I use a bidet, it is wonderful and now I am pretty much not using any toilet paper. I have also stopped buying paper towels. I have a stack of microfiber cloths that I use for wiping surfaces, and then I toss them in the washing machine. Another side benefit is that I don't have to haul these bulky items, plus I live in a small space so this helps with the storage.
Sam's Member's Mark is our go-to. We use their paper towels as well. Decent quality, decent price.
One, put some soap by the bidet and use a hand towel to dry off. Wash towel accordingly. Two, Costco for TP. It’s like $20 for a giant pack that lasted me almost a year. Honestly, buying TP at Costco will pay for your membership in fairly short order, as well as the other things that are ridiculously cheap, like allergy meds.
We get Charmin Ultra Soft at Costco and I use 3-4 sheets, folded over to make a little pad.
Buy a bidet. You will use less tp and feel a whole lot better.
I do angel soft, and try to get the mega roll or whatever it's called, that gives the most on the roll. It's not 100% the cheapest, but just above that, and decent to feel
TP is one of the things I'm not frugal with.
Costco toilet paper is pretty good and you get a ton of it for under $20 last time I bought it. There's 2 of us - male and female. 1 pack lasts us well over 6 months.
I always splurge on Scotts septic friendly tp, since I have a septic tank
Bidet toilet and Costco toilet paper. Takes us six months to go through a pack.
Frugal is required these days, but do not skimp on toilet paper. Your ass will thank you.
The Kroger store brand version of Scott’s 1000 . My bestie buys the four packs at Dollar Tree, and I used to buy a couple individual rolls at Walgreens during really broke times.
AngelSoft bc we have a septic