Not so fun fact: the average American spends $182 on toilet paper each year, plus an extra $15 per month since the pandemic started in 2020. That means some of us are spending over $14,000 on toilet paper in our lifetime. While you let that sink in, let’s talk about how to cut costs in a big way.
Finding the cheapest toilet paper can seem like a lot of work, especially with all the different factors that go into it. But there’s actually an easy way to get a like-for-like comparison, and to show you how it’s done, I compared the prices of toilet paper from two top brands: Scott and Angel Soft. These are the products I’ll compare in this post:
Even though a 12-pack of Angel Soft has a lower price point, Scott 1,000 is actually the cheaper option. And here’s why:
How does Scott 1,000 compare to Angel Soft 12 Mega Rolls?
At a glance, the 12-pack of Scott 1,000 clearly looks more expensive than a 12-pack of Angel Soft. But looking at the price of the pack alone doesn’t actually tell you which is cheaper. There are other things you need to consider to get the most accurate price comparison, like the total square footage and the total number of sheets in a pack.
Even though Angel Soft is two-ply and Scott is one-ply, Scott has over three times the total square footage of toilet paper in a 12-pack of rolls. Scott also has over three times as many sheets in the pack.
Which toilet paper is cheaper per square foot?
Winner: Scott 1,000
First off, when you calculate and compare the prices of toilet paper, ignore all that fancy lingo printed in big block letters on the pack. You’ll see words like “mega,” “jumbo,” and “12 super rolls = X regular rolls.” These phrases seem like they’re there to help you, but they don’t mean squat when it comes to calculating real value. What you really need to know is printed in much smaller text, usually at the bottom left or right corner of the pack. And that’s the square footage.
To calculate the cost per square foot for Scott 1,000 and Angel Soft, we take the price of each pack and divide it by its total square footage. When we compared the price per square foot for Scott versus Angel Soft, Scott 1,000 was the clear winner. Scott is 2.45 times cheaper per square foot than Angel Soft for a 12-pack of toilet paper rolls.
Which toilet paper is cheaper per sheet?
Winner: Scott 1,000
Calculating the cost per square foot gives you a near-perfect unit cost, but we calculated the cost per sheet, too. Because let’s face it — you don’t wipe by the square foot.
To get the cost per sheet for Scott 1,000 and Angel Soft, we take the price of each pack and divide it by the total number of sheets. Again, Scott 1,000 is 2.45 times cheaper per sheet than Angel Soft.
Now, you could argue that since Angel Soft is two-ply, there are technically twice as many sheets (and thus twice the square footage) in their 12-pack of toilet paper. So for the fun of it, I doubled the sheets and square footage for Angel Soft and compared it again to Scott’s prices. The results? Scott 1,000 was still the cheaper option.
Scott 1,000 is still 1.2 times cheaper than Angel Soft per square foot, even when I doubled the square footage for Angel Soft.
Scott 1,000 is still 1.2 times cheaper than Angel Soft per sheet, even when I doubled the total number of sheets for Angel Soft.
Why buy one-ply toilet paper?
One-ply toilet paper is much safer for septic systems, which tend to be sensitive and seriously expensive to replace. Like tens of thousands of dollars expensive. And the toilet paper you use has a lot to do with how well it holds up.
My fiance and I have a septic system in our home, and boy, did we learn a lot when we moved in. I’ll never forget our inspector repeating how important it was to use one-ply toilet paper — over and over again like a broken record. It was the only thing he was super serious about. And since he’s a pro (and we’re certainly not), we’ve been one-ply or die ever since.
By the way, I was a longtime two-plyer myself, and I thought having to switch would be a bummer. But I honestly can’t tell the difference, and I’m not the type to skimp on quality care for my tush.
Why buy Scott 1,000 toilet paper?
The low price point is a big reason to buy Scott 1,000, but there are other perks that make Scott stand out in the crowd. Like, their toilet paper is 100% biodegradable. It dissolves faster, and with all the sheets you get in just one 12-pack, it lasts a heck of a lot longer, too.
Scott also focuses on helping you find the best value for your essential purchases, especially during this time of inflation and rising costs. At the end of the day, you’re buying long-lasting, septic-safe toilet paper at prices that beat top brands — from a company that actually cares about how much you spend. So, when it comes to value, Scott checks all the right boxes.
Before you make your purchase, don’t forget to check out all the Scott coupons available now!
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