Before the pandemic, how many rolls of TP did you have in the house? How many now?

[design_mom]

I haven't counted, but we usually buy the big packs of Charmin at Costco. When we get down to half a pack, we buy another on our next Costco trip (we don't go often... less than monthly.) Occasionally, if it's on sale, we'll buy 2 packs. We have a shelf in our basement where we stack it -- it lasts and we have space for it, so it's one of the few things that I have always bought in bulk.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Did she add lovely matching table runner?

Let's not give her any new ideas.
Although she must have "absorbed" part of the lesson. We did some decoupaging with printed napkins and she was concerned we'd run out of them for their original use, LOL.

 

[tzolkin]

Two of us. We used to buy a 12 pack when we got down to three rolls in the cabinet.....(not counting the two rolls in each of our three bathrooms). So about 15 rolls
...
Before the pandemic was didn't understand normal sized families that bought 96 roll cases from Costco. After the pandemic, I really didn't understand normal sized families buying multipe 96 roll case.

I think you're overestimating what a Costco-sized large package is. Every one I've ever seen or purchased (and what most have mentioned in this thread) are 30-36 rolls in a case, not 96 rolls.

So a family of 4-6 people purchasing a case of 30-36 rolls is the same equivalent of your family of 2 people having 12-15 rolls on hand.

That said, there are other factors to consider:
How often is the family buying the tp? Some families may shop weekly (and would therefore not need that much at one time), but some may only go to Costco a few times per year. If you're expecting it to last 6mos, you would need more.

Who is using the tp and when? There has to be a huge difference in consumption between a family who homeschool/work from home and a family who is never at home (school/work/sports activities) because the latter would be using tp elsewhere most of the time. There's also a big difference between a family with 4 teenage girls and a family with toddler boys.

 

[cmrdgrs]

We have 5 bathrooms in our house. I usually keep anywhere from 12-30 rolls on hand. I buy the Costco brand TP which as 30 rolls in the package. I buy a new 30 pack when I'm getting down to 6 or 12 rolls. I never paid any attention to how long a 30 pack lasts my family. Now that I look at what I have on hand, it must last quite a while because we still have plenty of TP on hand.

I discovered the TP hoarding my accident. The first week of March I was making my weekly trip to Costco and found out that they had no TP. It was at that point I realized that all the stores were either out or very low on stock. We were headed to Aulani for Spring Break March 14 - March 28. It was clear to me that things were getting a bit wonky and not wanting to be caught without food/TP I bought some things to tied us over when we returned.

When I purchased I bought what I normally buy and a little extra for my elderly handicapped mother.

 

[Hikergirl]

Whatever the biggest package of Charmin is at BJs.

 

[tvguy]

I think you're overestimating what a Costco-sized large package is. Every one I've ever seen or purchased (and what most have mentioned in this thread) are 30-36 rolls in a case, not 96 rolls.

Based on the very unscientific photo posts on Facebook. Everyone buying from Costco that is posting photos are photos of 96 pack cases.

 

[soccerdad72]

Based on the very unscientific photo posts on Facebook. Everyone buying from Costco that is posting photos are photos of 96 pack cases.

Been shopping at Costco for nearly a decade now - as far as I know, a 96-pack doesn't exist, unless it's some sort of commercial pack.

 

[tvguy]

Been shopping at Costco for nearly a decade now - as far as I know, a 96-pack doesn't exist, unless it's some sort of commercial pack.

No idea. I've never been to Costco. Just based on the photos Costco members are posting. Isn't Kirkland their brand? It tends to be Kirkland brand.

 

[aprilchem]

I just checked my Amazon order - I have a case of 36 rolls delivered every month, I have for years. We have three teenagers and two adults in the house.

We haven't bought any toilet paper for five weeks (not that we could have found any if we looked - it's still not available in my area), but I still probably have 30 rolls left in the house. So I had a significant stockpile before this started.

 

[tzolkin]

Based on the very unscientific photo posts on Facebook. Everyone buying from Costco that is posting photos are photos of 96 pack cases.

No idea. I've never been to Costco. Just based on the photos Costco members are posting. Isn't Kirkland their brand? It tends to be Kirkland brand.

Perhaps the 96 packs are the super thin commercial type and that was all that was left due to the pandemic? I don't think it's Kirkland brand. I've only ever seen 30 packs.

That said, your OP was discussing how normal families pre-pandemic were buying 96 roll cases from Costco. All of us who regularly shop at Costco are telling you that's not the case. Average families usually buy the regular cases (30-36 rolls) of Charmin, Cottonelle, and Kirkland brand tp that Costco sells. You can't base your statement off photos that you have seen on FB during a pandemic when people were buying whatever they could find.

Here are the types of panic-buying photos from Costco that I have seen and these are clearly all 30packs:

 

[MIGrandma]

I buy another 6 pack as soon as I open the one we have in the cabinet. We have 3 bathrooms but the master bath is the one that gets used most often. The upstairs bathroom is rarely used So a roll up there lasts a long time. I did have 2 6-packs when we left for Tennessee before everything started shutting down, but did buy another 6-pack before we got home since it was getting scarce. And bought 2-12 packs once we got home and I happened to be in the store 2 minutes after they opened, mainly to have in case family members ran out but they haven’t so they are still unopened. So, at the moment we have approximately 34 rolls.

 

[MarkLT1]

My wife, for some reason HATES buying TP. So we'd typically buy 2 of the Kirkland 30 packs from Costco. That would last our family quite a while. Once we got down to 8-10 rolls left, we'd buy another couple 30-packs.

Going into the great TP shortage of 2020, we had one full 30-pack (which I had recently picked up), + 8-10 rolls from the prior pack. Around the time we burned through those 8-10 rolls, TP started becoming available again at our local Costco, so we bought one more 30-pack (About a week ago). So we're sitting at around our "just went and bought 2 30-packs" stock right now.

I guess it helps that we are on septic, so we have a firm in-house policy of "use as little TP as you comfortably can" to keep the septic system from going south. So I'm guessing we use less TP per... bathroom visit than many households.

 

[tvguy]

Perhaps the 96 packs are the super thin commercial type and that was all that was left due to the pandemic? I don't think it's Kirkland brand. I've only ever seen 30 packs.

That said, your OP was discussing how normal families pre-pandemic were buying 96 roll cases from Costco. All of us who regularly shop at Costco are telling you that's not the case. Average families usually buy the regular cases (30-36 rolls) of Charmin, Cottonelle, and Kirkland brand tp that Costco sells. You can't base your statement off photos that you have seen on FB during a pandemic when people were buying whatever they could find.

Here are the types of panic-buying photos from Costco that I have seen and these are clearly all 30packs:
View attachment 488117View attachment 488118

My only other info on Costco is from my daughter who is a member, and she has said before the pandemic that their TP sizes are ridiculously large for her. She has never said the number of rolls. We picked up a 4 pack for her and that will handle her for a while.

 

[starry_solo]

Perhaps the 96 packs are the super thin commercial type and that was all that was left due to the pandemic? I don't think it's Kirkland brand. I've only ever seen 30 packs.

That said, your OP was discussing how normal families pre-pandemic were buying 96 roll cases from Costco. All of us who regularly shop at Costco are telling you that's not the case. Average families usually buy the regular cases (30-36 rolls) of Charmin, Cottonelle, and Kirkland brand tp that Costco sells. You can't base your statement off photos that you have seen on FB during a pandemic when people were buying whatever they could find.

Here are the types of panic-buying photos from Costco that I have seen and these are clearly all 30packs:
View attachment 488117View attachment 488118

So, I actually also have one of those I forgot about. A friend got it for me a while ago.

I was doing some comparing to the Member's Mark brand of Sam's Club that I have (45 mega rolls of 275 sheets/roll [they usually come as 45 mega rolls of 235 sheets except once a year when they're on sale and that's when we get them]).

Both are 2-ply. I haven't compared the size of the sheets yet.

Kirkland: 30 rolls at 425 sheets = 12,750 sheets in the pack (this was $15.99 or $16.99)?
Member's Mark: 45 rolls at 275 sheets = 12,375 sheets in the pack ($21.58 regular price, usually $1-2 cheaper when on sale so $19.58-20.58).

 

[Moliphino]

We usually have a few rolls in each bathroom (say 3-5 rolls in all 3 bathrooms) plus a few packs in the basement at any given time. We'd usually pick some up whenever there was a good sale, never let it get to where we really needed it.

 

[RangerPooh]

I'd try to have at least 10 rolls on hand before I restocked. Still have a package of 36 rolls (Costco) and half of another.

 

[Heather07438]

I feel like an expert after reading this thread Is there a job title that is like sommelier for TP?

 

[chickapin parterre]

buying toilet paper in Mexico helped us....but even before all this happen...we had plenty...because I believe the 200 year earthquake will far more damaging on the west coast then the virus.....our car trunk is prepped for earthquake, where as our dash console is prepped for virus.

 

[TLSnell1981]

We always had a 24 pack come every other month via our Amazon subscriptions. Naturally, Amazon said they were out once this thing started. I looked for some at the beginning and found a pack. I went last week and also managed to score a pack. So, if I had to take a guess...we probably have about 30 rolls right now.

Amazon has missed our regular deliveries of toilet paper, paper towels and bottled water. We are on a septic tank so we use specific brands of toilet paper.

 

[AuntieMe3]

We buy from Costco 30 rolls(5 packs of 6 rolls and they are large rolls) for $15.99. You could pay that much for half that amount of much smaller rolls at other stores so it's a better deal for us to get it at Costco plus you don't have to buy it as often.

There are only three of us so it usually lasts us awhile, that's when all 3 of us are working. I'm off work now, daughters hours have been cut and hubby is home every night when he used to travel a lot for work before all this so we're going through I it quicker than usual.

I'll usually pick up another pack when I open the last pack of 6. The last time I bought was in February, we were down to what was in each bathroom (we have 3). At the start of the TP panic, , we were still on our first pack of 6. I opened our second pack last week and shared a pack with my parents(who go through a lot of TP for two old people). Last week, I ended up at Costco at the right time and was able to pick up another pack for us(2 households) so we'll be good for awhile now I don't have to worry about it.

As someone else said earlier, we are on a septic so we're limited on the kind of paper we can us. Costco brand is septic safe.