Toilet Paper. We all use it and we all hate to spend money on it! This is the first post in a series about the best prices on toilet paper. If you’d like to read more about saving money on toilet paper, check out my ultimate guide to cheap toilet paper.

My family always preferred Cottonelle Cleancare toilet paper because it seemed to be a good balance between quality and value. We wanted something between ultra plush and sandpaper-like public restroom toilet paper. This post investigates where you can find the cheapest Cottonelle toilet paper.

Cheapest Cottonelle Toilet Paper – My Investigation

I wanted to check a variety of stores to thoroughly investigate the prices. I checked:

• Discount Stores: Walmart, Target
• Grocery store: Kroger
• Dollar stores: Family Dollar, Dollar General, Dollar Tree
• Warehouse stores: Costco, Sam’s Club
• Online: Amazon.com

In comparing prices, I looked at price per 1,000 sheets. Since I was only looking at one brand, there was no need to compare square footage, since all the sheets were the same size. If I were comparing different brands, square footage would be a better indication of value, as different brands have differently sized sheets.

Cheapest Cottonelle Toilet Paper – Discount Stores

Walmart and Target both carried the same large package of 36 rolls of 190 sheets each, for a total of 6840 sheets. Walmart’s price was $16.98 and Target’s price was $17.29. Walmart also carried a smaller “bonus” package of 30 rolls (normally 24 rolls + 6 bonus rolls), priced at $11.98. I don’t know if they always carry this package or if it’s a limited time deal. After doing the math, here’s what I got:

• Target: $17.29/(6840 sheets/1000)=$2.53 per 1,000 sheets
• Walmart: $16.98/(6840 sheets/1000)=$2.48 per 1,000 sheets
• Walmart bonus package: $11.98/(5700 sheets/1000)=$2.10 per 1,000 sheets

The bonus package was smaller, but was actually cheaper per 1,000 sheets. This is a great example of how bigger packages are not always the best deal!

 

Cheapest Cottonelle Toilet Paper – Grocery & Dollar Stores

It was interesting to notice that different stores carry different sized rolls. While Walmart & Target both carried the 190-sheet rolls, Family Dollar & Dollar General carried 150-sheet rolls. Family Dollar & Dollar General carried the same package of 20 rolls (150 sheets each) for $9.50. Kroger carried “mega” rolls with 380 sheets each. They had a current sale going on, so I’ve included both the regular and sale prices:

• Kroger regular price: $19.99/(4560 sheets/1000)=$4.38 per 1,000 sheets
• Kroger sale price: $12.99/(4560 sheets/1000)=$2.85 per 1,000 sheets
• Family Dollar & Dollar General: $9.50/(3000 sheets/1000)=$3.17 per 1,000 sheets
• Dollar Tree: Does not carry Cottonelle.

 

Cheapest Cottonelle Toilet Paper – Wholesale Clubs

I am disappointed to report that neither Sam’s Club nor Costco carry Cottonelle CleanCare toilet paper. I wish they did, because it would probably be a good source for the cheapest Cottonelle toilet paper. On Costco.com, you can find Cottonelle Ultra, but that’s not very economical at $3.16 per 1,000 sheets. Both wholesale clubs also carry an industrial version of Cottonelle. From the reviews, it is obvious that it’s not the same as Cottonelle CleanCare.

Cheapest Cottonelle Toilet Paper – Online

After looking around at a variety of sites online, I found that Amazon.com had the best prices. They carry a package of 36 “family” rolls, which have 228 sheets each. Cottonelle CleanCare toilet paper is available for a one-time purchase or as a “subscribe & save” purchase with a 5% discount. If your subscription order has at least 5 items in it, you get 15% off instead of 5%. They also had a coupon available for $2 off a one time purchase or a first-time subscription purchase. Here’s a rough estimate of the price:

• Amazon.com: Range of about $14.14-19.99/(8208 sheets/1000)=$1.72-2.44 per 1,000 sheets

The prices on Amazon.com vary a lot depending on which options you choose and the current price. Prices vary daily and coupons are also not always available. Always check the latest price before deciding if it’s the best deal.

Cheapest Cottonelle Toilet Paper – Bottom Line

Here’s a ranking of the prices for Cottonelle, from cheapest to most expensive:

• BEST (usually): Amazon.com with a coupon and/or subscription ranges from $1.72-2.44 per 1,000 sheets
• Best in store: Walmart bonus package is $2.10 per 1,000 sheets
• Walmart or Target regular prices are $2.48-2.53 per 1,000 sheets
• Kroger sale price was $2.85 per 1,000 sheets
• Family Dollar or Dollar General are $3.17 per 1,000 sheets
• WORST: Kroger regular price is $4.38 per 1,000 sheets

What’s the moral of the story? Never buy your Cottonelle Toilet Paper at the grocery store! When it’s full price, it’s often DOUBLE what you’d pay elsewhere. Even when it’s on sale, it’s more expensive than Walmart, Target, or Amazon. Dollar stores should also be avoided because their prices are quite high.

For the best prices on Cottonelle ClearCare toilet paper, stick to Amazon.com, Walmart, or Target. Also note that Walmart rarely has sales on things like toilet paper, but Target sometimes does. Since their regular prices are both pretty good, a sale price at Target is likely to be a very good deal.

Do you love Cottonelle toilet paper? Have you found a better price that I haven’t listed here? Please comment below!

If you’d like to read more about saving money on toilet paper, be sure to read my complete guide to cheap toilet paper.