Soooo many companies are playing around with sizes AND increasing prices. The soap I use, Cetaphil, is quite a bit smaller than it used to be.

I have never paid attention to the number of sheets a roll but have purchased the Charmin Mega rolls since they came out. Couple of months ago my grocery had them on sale so rather than buying at wally world I purchased them there. They are about the size of the old regular rolls and last about as long as they did. Have started looking as I will need to replenish and noticed that the size/diameter of various packages and number of sheets in a roll are different in the Mega's depending on what size of package you look at. My memory states that the ones in the four pack were larger and had more sheets than in the other sizes. It was a shock when the $8*** on sale large packages became $12 and at some places $14 on sale was a shock.

I call it ‘toilet paper math’. It seems like every time I go to buy it, you have to check the unit price sticker or figure out which size is the better buy.

Paper towels are the same. I mistakenly bought the smaller rolls the last time, thinking I was getting a better deal somewhere. I dunno, maybe it was, but I was in a hurry and didn’t realize they weren’t the jumbo rolls I usually buy. But hey, I’m not gonna go broke over one package of paper towels, so next time I will be more aware.

Sometimes Costco online is more expensive than the price in the warehouse, so you might want to check in the store - plus they usually have stuff go on sale every month or two, not sure if that brand does.

I’m glad I’m not so poor as to have to pay attention to the price of TP. It’s a necessity (no more Sears catalogue as a substitute), so I just buy it - the larger the package the better as I don’t want to run out. Actually, I rarely price shop fir any grocery store item anymore. It’s just me so it’s not worth running all over town to save a dollar. Now if I had 5 teenage boys, it would be a different story!

Have you noticed that the width of the rolls even those the same brand vary?

I look at the price to compare on the shelf as the store I normally purchase TP will have differing displays of the same product at different prices. In the past they would ring up differently. But other than that I normally do not pay attention. This last purchase has only lasted about a month and a half instead of the two plus months previously. On my mind because am needing to purchase more.

We have one of these weird toilet paper holders in one bathroom where you slide the roll in from the bottom. A couple of years ago, the toilet paper rolls (Charmin) started to fall out of it. I sent an email to Charmin at that time and they told me they changed it by about a centimeter. Sent me 10 dollars in coupons, too. I was really annoyed since I didn’t want to drill new holes in the tiles for a new holder and have the old ones showing. Now I kind of stuff the empty cardboard roll into the new roll of toilet paper and have it sticking out a bit. At least it works without having to chase the roll after it falls down.

My DM used to order cartons of TP, Kleenex, and French milled soap when Marshall Field's had an annual sale on them; free delivery. I prefer to stock up and be done with it, too.

Our Costco warehouse hasn't stocked the Northern brand lately, but I did see it online. I know that the proper way to compare is price per square foot of paper, but I can't find a Northern comp -- 4.5" wide; 3-ply; 'triple roll'.

I'll just have to BUY it! I might as well get two packs of 30 rolls. It's not going to get cheaper -- and there's little chance of receiving a new Sears catalog. haha

I'm with anglo on this one. It shouldn't be a major cost in anyone's household spending budget.

A new brand or type? Sure, why not give it a try, there's nothing to lose. If you don't like what you bought, you can flush it down the toilet. Not all at once, just a little at a time.

It seems as if they make it deliberately confusing with double rolls, giant rolls, mega rolls and 1,2, or 3 ply plus different size squares. A lot of the rolls need to be changed every day or two. One company ( maybe Scott) sells tube free rolls-sounds like a disaster. On one of my ‘deal’, sites people use complicated math formulas to figure out the better deals. I used to buy it from staples.com using their online coupons. Haven’t done that in a while. I don’t think they sold the mega rolls-I’m going to start only buying those.

I like Kirklands from Costco. It is wider than others, costs $15.99 for thirty rolls. Sheets are 4.5 x 4.0, and there are 425 sheets to a roll. What I also like about it is that it disintegrates as it is flushed, reducing sewer and septic tank problems.

There are some o n here who buy it in bulk. Can you tell some of us where you buy it and how much it costs and if you like it? I had to buy some on Friday and I couldn't believe the price since I last bought it. I thought am I the only one who has problems choosing which is the cheapest

I like Great Value in the red package. IMO its the best. Not sure how the price adds up against the others. Think it was Consumer Reports a few years ago that gave it excellent ratings. I agree.

I wonder if I'm gauging prices incorrectly because I always go by square feet? Never think of unit price. Now I want to buy the Kirkland's after learning it disintegrates! Costco is my favorite place!

I like the one with the bunny on the package, Safeway carries it. $3 for 12 mega rolls on sale....then I stock up. Altho the Great Value is pretty good. Northern is a fav.

Iris ... yes, yes, yes!!! We buy double rolls in bulk, so two purchases ago I noticed that the roll wouldn't stay on my 'Japanese style' TP holder, especially as the TP was used up. My son-in-law had bought a different brand, so I thought it was just that brand which was the problem. I searched this house up and down to find an older roll for comparison, but no luck.

I bought TP the last time, and I compared the width of the rolls with every brand in the store--all were the same width. Came home and put a roll in the dispenser, and it's narrower, too. I stuffed the old roll in as you did, but my plan is to beg a 5" section of 1" PVC from my BIL, for use as a 'permanent substitute' for a TP roll that fits.

Even on dispensers which have the post, does anyone notice that more of the post is exposed? I probably wouldn't have noticed, if I'd had that kind of dispenser, and my TP roll wasn't falling on the floor every time I tried to use it.

I always check the price of paper products and other items. The money I save lets me buy a nice piece of fresh halibut when it's in the store.

I was also going to say the prices online at Costco are sometimes higher than in the store. I get the Kirkland brand TP at Costco, and this last time I was thinking the overall package seemed a tad smaller than before...I didn't have the old outside wrapping to compare though.

I had the same feeling, Always. Were you able to compare the two packages? I wonder if the rolls are smaller?

I can appreciate shopping for the best deal. There were times in my life that I did just that. When shopping for paper products I go with....

Toilet paper: what my butt is most comfortable with, Charmin

Tissue: Kleenex without lotion!

Paper towels: Viva

Dog with a bone! I emailed Georgia-Pacific, asking where I could find price comps for their 3-ply quilted in the 4.5" width. They said it was only available through Costco online -- and that it's three cents per square foot.

Now You Know! haha