Solution for Wasted Toilet Paper

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Please forgive me for discussing a bit of a personal subject today, but I think it’s a legitimate issue that most of us with kids or grandkids have.

We’ve all been there at some point- whether it was cats or kids. Either way it’s one of those times where you get that sinking feeling that you’ve just wasted a bunch of money.  While I do think toilet paper is a waste of money, I’m not willing to go without it.  In fact, I’m a toilet paper snob – I like Cottonelle.  With ripples. Problem is that it’s expensive, even more so when I find an entire new roll tossed into the toilet or unrolled into it by a certain 2 yr. old.  She obviously doesn’t understand it’s purpose completely when she looks at me with pride and says “paper for Momma!” Little boys aren’t much easier on the consumption even though they have a legitimate use for it.  Sometimes I feel like I put a new roll on every day.  So here are my solutions for the kids using too much toilet paper situation.

  1. Buy the cheap toilet paper for your kids’ bathroom– not the stuff that will deteriorate as soon as it’s wet, but the next step up.  You should easily be able to find it for $.25 a roll if not half that.  If the kids’ bathroom is also your guest bathroom, replace it with the good stuff before you have out of town guests or a party.
  2. Smush the roll before you put it on the roller so that it no longer rolls with ease.  It will make it more difficult to use 20 sheets instead of 5. Also be sure that your kids are capable of tearing it off.  I found that Little Turkey couldn’t do it, so he was unrolling more and more each time it tore down the middle instead of sideways.  Once I showed him how to hold the roll steady with one hand that problem was fixed.
  3. Teach your kids to use only __ sheets at a time.  They take to this surprisingly fast.  The amount they’ll need will depend on the business of course, but also on the type of paper you buy.  Some kinds take 4 sheets and some kinds take 12 sheets.  KWIM?
  4. If the kids still waste the toilet paper in ridiculous ways make them buy the next pack.  Seriously- they must fork over the cash/coins at the register to pay for the paper that will be flushed away.  It won’t take long for them to fix their ways, and if not they can keep buying it.  It’s also helpful when hubby sees how expensive it is.

Do you have any other suggestions for teaching kids to be more mindful of their toilet paper wasting?

Comments

  1. S. Davis says:

    We are on #4 right now! Of course, nobody wants to admit who is wasting, so we made them split the pkg evenly in cost. It’s amazing how slowly they are going through this pkg, but with boys, seriously, it wouldn’t surprise me if they just didn’t use it at all to save their $. I know that’s awful, but boys can be gross, and it would not surprise me!

  2. LOL Sherrill, I think there will be evidence if they give it up all together!

  3. I use Scott 1000. I know a lot of people don’t like it because it is thinner but seriously, it lasts much longer. I did some random ‘tests’ buying different brands of tp. When I put a new roll on, I wrote the date inside the roll. Where the thicker, softer brands lasted my family about a week, Scott lasted twice that long & longer. I was really surprised. We probably use more with each use but it still lasts much longer. I buy a 12 pack every 5 to 6 months for three adults – two males & myself.

    This might be a little silly too but I’ve trained my family go to safe, clean public restrooms before they come home. For example we go to the gym a few days a week & take care of business there before we go home. It’s that much less tp I have to buy.

    I know, weird subject but it IS so expensive.

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  1. Afro-Chic Mompreneur says:

    Smush the roll before you put it on the roller so that it no longer rolls with ease.  It will make it more difficult to use 20 sheets instead of 5. Also, be sure that your kids are capable of tearing it off.

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