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7 Top Tips To Save Money On Toilet Paper

3 January 2023  |  Admin

The cost of living crisis is causing us ALL to look at ways we can save money on our weekly shopping. From eating less meat (which is also environmentally friendly) to choosing meals that can be batch cooked in a slow cooker, nothing is off the table when it comes to reducing our bills.

But have you ever thought that you're literally throwing hundreds of pounds away EVERY year just on wiping your bottom?

How much toilet paper does the average person use annually?

Source: Statista Consumer Market Outlook

How much toilet paper should you use per week?

Based on independent statistics above, the 'average' UK person uses around 2.5 rolls of toilet tissue per week, which is 127 rolls per annum and approximately £85 per person!

How much is toilet paper in the UK?

Looking at Ocado, 9 rolls of branded toilet paper seems to average between £4.75 and £8, so annually that's between £67 and £117! For a family of 4, that's between £268 and £468 which is just crazy.

Is 20 mins on the toilet too long?

Is 20 mins on the toilet too long?

Yes, 20 mins on the toilet is too long and you can absolutely bet that the person taking 20 mins on the toilet has their mobile phone in there with them!  

'I have now ordered two of the toilet paper replacement kits and they are excellent. So easy to set up and use, easy to wash and so much better for your body and the environment than toilet paper.' Via Trustpilot

7 Top Tips For Saving Money On Toilet Paper

Here's our 7 top tips to save money on toilet paper:

'We have decided to take the plunge and go toilet paper free! So far so good! Not only are we saving money and looking after the environment, it is also more hygienic and better for the skin! Would highly recommend!' via Trustpilot

1. Buy Toilet Paper in Bulk

This is an easy way to save money! Instead of adding a 9 pack to your weekly shopping (average household of 4 usage), buy in bulk if you've got the storage space. Comparing on Ocado, buying a 9 pack of Cheeky Panda works out at 88p per roll. By comparison, 24 pack of their loo roll will work out at 83p per roll.

Shopping at wholesale type spaces such as Costco etc can obviously save even more.

2. Use Less Toilet Roll

Another cost effective way to save money on toilet roll is to use less of it. If the 'average' person uses 8 to 9 sheets of toilet paper, reducing it by 2 sheets per visit will save 25% off your annual spend.

Of course let's be honest. Most men will only use loo roll for a poo. And women shouldn't need to use anywhere near that amount for a pee. So are some people really using 20 sheets per poo?

Let us know in the comments...

3. Choose Non-Branded Loo Paper

Again, comparing prices at Ocado, switching from premium branded loo roll like Cheeky Panda at 83p per roll to supermarket own brand at 52p per roll could save families £157 per annum.

Not for party poopers...

How much does a toilet roll subscription cost annually

4. Subscribe to a Toilet Roll Delivery Service

We're loath to recommend A****n to anyone, however their 'subscribe and save' service could save you 15% on your toilet roll.

A MUCH more sustainable and ethically sound alternative is 'Who gives a crap'. Their double length rolls are under £1 per roll for a box of 48, so cost less than leading brands per sheet.

They're also available in two cracking options, luxury bamboo or eco friendly 100% recycled. And delivered to your door too.

By our reckoning, you'll need 63 of their double length rolls per person, per annum which is roughly £250. Still a 30% saving on buying premium branded at the supermarket!

switching to reusable wipes could save families £200 to £400 annually

5. Switch to Reusable Toilet Paper 

Here at Cheeky HQ, we've been using reusable toilet paper for almost 8 years now and saved ourselves a FORTUNE in that time.

As a family of 5, we'd have been spending £400 annually on loo roll. We were already washing reusable baby wipes alongside our cloth nappies in the washing machine, so it made sense to try cloth toilet paper.

We appreciate that not everyone has small children at home in cloth diapers, so we created the Cheeky reusable toilet paper kit, which costs £49.99 and contains:

This kit is also available with grey charcoal toilet wipes for the poo squeamish!

We like to say 'just use one for a nice clean bum' because unless you've got a VERY messy poo,just one wipe will do. So our toilet wipes kit, with 50 wipes is usually sufficient for a family of 4.

Switching to reusable toilet paper could save families at LEAST £200 per annum

Even with today's high energy costs, washing 50 wipes (500g) every other day as part of a 7kg mixed washload costs between £2.50 and £6 per annum. Line drying is obviously free, but if you choose to tumble dry in winter, you can double that.

However that's a HUGE cost saving when you consider our cheapest alternative so far costs £250 per annum.

'I have Crohn's disease and find the frequent trips to the bathroom uncomfortable. Conventional toilet paper is unpleasant and I get through it quickly. These wipes have made my life so much easier, cheaper and much more comfortable. Glad I made the leap and brought these.' via Trustpilot

6. Invest in a Bidet

Washing with water is popular in many countries around the world. The bidet has long been a continental favourite, with newer 'smart toilets' offering not just hot water squirted onto your bottom, but also drying your nether regions or offering a heated seat!

At the cheapest end of the market, bidet attachments cost around £40 (plus fitting). Smart or Japanese toilets can cost upwards of £800 plus fitting...but over several years, this will pay for itself over buying (and flushing) toilet roll.

In our opinion, the water & cloth wipes combo is more efficient at cleaning, but a shower spray plus Cheeky Wipes would be the absolute best of both worlds saving hundreds of rolls of toilet paper annually!

7. Try a Portable Bidet

A German 'Dragons Den' winner, the 'HappyPo' travel bidet, priced at £19 uses water to cleanse but recommends paper for drying. That will definitely reduce your toilet roll consumption but surely still leaves bits of paper in your bumcrack?

As always, we hope you enjoyed this article and if you did, you may also enjoy 'Are Reusable Wipes Worth It?'

Or, if you've got any comments or questions, feel free to leave us a comment or contact us.

 

 

 

About the author: Helen Rankin is founder of Cheeky Wipes, the original environmentally sustainable baby wipes kit, founded in 2008. Helen and her 4 kids have been toilet paper free for 8 years now and LOVE having nice clean bottoms, plus helping protect our environment. The Cheeky Team pride themselves on helping people make the switch to reusables EASY, with a range of eco friendly products including period pants and cloth sanitary pads. Cheeky Wipes were awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise for their sustainable development goals in 2021.