The Economics of Toilet Paper

Toilet paper is something you can't live without - well, unless you're willing to try some other cleansing method, which I doubt.

So, most people just chalk it up as a necessity, and don't think much about how much they consume, and therefore how much they spend on it.

But, like anything else, it is something you can scrimp on.

Now, I'm not suggesting you rip a square in half or anything, but there are ways you can use a little less.

The first scrimping technique is to change the way you use toilet paper.

According to Dave Praeger, the author of "Poop Culture: How America Is Shaped By Its Grossest National Product", toilet-paper-users fall into two categories - folders and scrunchers (the former being the most economical).

He asserts that while scrunching is more time-efficientl, folding is more cost-efficient, because you get a greater surface area, and therefore need less squares to get the "job done," so to speak.

In case you were wondering, I am a scruncher - I simply don't put that much thought into what I'm doing. Maybe I will change this now (but probably not).

Another scrimp technique you can try is to use the cheap, scratchy brands. You will likely save at least $50 a year.

However, I'm not sure how willing people are to put their butt through the sandpaper routine, especially when as Praeger says, sometimes the expensive brand is better, because if people use more of the scratchy stuff to compensate for the roughness of it, then they might as well just buy the expensive brand.

So, really, what I got from this article, was that it is possible to save money on toilet paper, but only if you are willing to put more time into wiping your butt, and less thought into how soft and comfortable the experience is for you.

As one of my roommates said, "I buy store-brand everything, but I always buy "Northern Quilt."

I personally buy store-brand - it doesn't bother me much (as long as it is double-ply). However, I realize that I am probably de-sensitized to cheap toilet paper since in my first year of college, my roommates and I would steal rolls of single-ply from the school bathrooms (we needed money to go out!)

So, anyway, I guess the take home message is do what works for you, but if you find yourself low on cash, toilet paper is something you can save on.