If you’re looking for a toilet paper deal in Ontario, hurry to the grocery store! I stocked up at No Frills yesterday, where they are selling 30 double rolls (equivalent to 60 single rolls) for $8.66. This works out to 14 cents per single roll, which is the best price I’ve seen in a while. Food Basics also has a sale, on the Cashmere brand of toilet paper. It is $4.88 for 15 double rolls (equivalent to 30 single rolls), which is 16 cents per roll. The double rolls for both brands are the same size and approximately the same price, so deciding which kind to buy is a matter of personal preference, usage requirements, proximity to the store, and storage space.
The title of this post may have you saying, “Huh?” So to answer your question: Yes, I only buy toilet paper twice a year. It’s something that you need to use frequently and is non-perishable, so I stock up! Luckily, space is not an issue for me and I can easily store a 6 month supply. But even my condo-dwelling friends make room in their storage locker to take advantage of a good sale. There are generally two amazing toilet paper deals per year, the week before Christmas and partway through the year. At Walmart, the Boxing Week sale price is usually higher than the pre-Christmas price for Royale toilet paper!
Some people shop by the number of rolls in a package, or the number of squares per roll, but you really get the most reliable price determination when you figure the price per square foot for a package. Unfortunately, because stores only list the number of rolls in a package for the sales ads, it can be difficult to do comparison shopping until you are actually in the store looking at the package to know what the total square footage is. To make it even trickier, a ‘roll’ is not a standard size (or length of square feet), sometimes even within the same brand! Then you factor in all of the different options for double rolls, big rolls, mega rolls, ultra soft/strong, 1/2/3 ply etc. and your head is spinning faster than a 3-year-old pulling the paper off the roll.