When it comes to saving money, it might not sound like paper roll products could put you over. However, many times it’s the small expenses here and there that start to bust our budget.
If you are looking to start creating a stockpile for your family, or just stop spending so much money on paper roll products, this post is going to break down for you where you can find the best paper product deals.
Knowing how much you should spend on certain items is like having the answer to the test. You won’t have to shop blindly and worry that you could be getting a better deal if you shopped elsewhere (or bought generic).
As I was tracking down these prices I was surprised to see that there were times when the generic product was NOT the cheapest.
For this post I’m only focusing on these paper roll products: toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, tissues, and trash bags, because those are the most common items that families spend money on and the ones that I was constantly wondering if we were overspending by not knowing how the prices compared to other stores.
Use this price comparison as a way to become more aware of how much you should be spending at the store on your paper roll products, or a good price comparison tool to know, across brands, if you are getting a good deal on Amazon.
Toilet Paper
When it comes to toilet paper, there are two different things to consider. The first is going to be the price per sheet, and the second is the price per use. Price per use means how many sheets you are going to use.
For example, low-quality paper roll products may require many sheets while you can get by with less of a higher quality one.
The best price for generic toilet paper came out to be about $0.01 per square feet, however, you have to pay attention because the Walmart and Target generic brands were over $0.02 per square foot which is more than you’d pay for the most expensive brand, Charmin, at Costco.
Another thing you need to pay attention to when shopping for Toilet Tissue is that the brands all want you to shop “per sheet” yet that number is super deceiving because not all squares of TP are the same size. Always compare paper roll products by the square feet on the package in order to make it fair.
When looking for the best deal on toilet paper, you want to look for any store that has it for around 1.5 pennies per square foot. If you are really in a pinch, buying the Angel Soft brand will be the best buy for your money.
Download your FREE Paper Product Price Comparison Cheat Sheet here and be ready to go shopping!
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Paper Towels
Unlike other paper roll products, paper towels DO need to be considered by the price per “sheet” because that is how you use them!
I’ve never heard of anyone counting toilet paper “squares” before they use them… we just pull and wipe. But paper towels on the other hand… we ALWAYS tear them at the seam.
The other thing to consider with paper towels is whether you prefer the “full size” sheet or the “multiple size” sheet.
The best price for the full-size sheet paper towels was 1.1¢ per sheet when you combine a sale with a coupon, compared to the generic brand which was 1.5¢ per sheet at multiple stores. In this instance, all of the generic varieties were the same price as buying some of the name brand paper roll products on sale with a coupon.
The best price for the multiple-size sheet was 0.6¢ (so just over half a penny) per sheet when you combined a sale with a coupon. But this product has some fierce competition because the generic brand was only 0.7¢ per sheet at multiple stores.
Bottom Line: If you prefer the full-size sheet, then you will save the most money by using the name brand and combining it with a coupon. However, if you like the multiple-size sheets, then your best bet is to go to ALDI, where they have all the paper roll products in generic varieties for much cheaper. You’ll only pay 0.7¢ per sheet there.
Download your FREE Paper Product Price Comparison Cheat Sheet here and be ready to go shopping!
Check out this quiz about Paper and learn more about why paper is best for our environment!
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Trash Bags
If you are good about taking out your trash regularly and don’t tend to over-fill your trash bag, then a generic brand would work just fine.
In theory, there is nothing wrong with the generic brand, until the bag breaks and you now have trash all over the floor. If you have a generic trash bag that you love, great! However, if you like something a little sturdier, take a look at these prices.
The best price for generic trash bags is about 8¢ per bag. However, a name brand trash bag combined with a coupon is 12¢ per bag.
And the surprising news is that if you shop at Sam’s Club, then you can get name brand trash bags for the same price as if you used a coupon without any of the hassle. Sam’s overall was the best place to shop for trash bags because they are the cheapest for both the price on generic (8¢ per bag) as well as the name brand (Glad 12¢ per bag).
Download your FREE Paper Product Price Comparison Cheat Sheet here and be ready to go shopping for all your paper roll products!
Download your FREE Paper Product Price Comparison Cheat Sheet here and be ready to go shopping!
Then, comment below and let me know how it helped you, or what you’d like me to compare next!
Your Turn: What paper roll products are your favorites: Ultra Soft or Ultra Strong? Let us know in the comments below!
