Like many of you with a female living in the home, keeping your TP preps up to snuff can be difficult. For me, a family of four (me, wife, 6 y/o son, 5 y/o daughter), I find my TP preps are always depleted. So, after buying yet another 12 pack today, I thought I would do some fun TP arithmetic just to see how much it would cost, and space necessary to store, a 6 month, 1 year, and 5 year supply of TP preps for a SHTF/TEOTWAWKI scenario. Your TP needs may differ greatly from mine, and how much you pay, what type you use (e.g. 1-ply vs 2-ply), etc. may vary. This exercise was done mostly for fun.

First off, I estimated how much TP my household currently uses. For my family, this is ~408 rolls of TP per year (we use the 2-ply "double rolls" stuff). We buy our TP from Aldis (a local low cost grocer) for $4.69/12 pack (tack on MN sales tax of 6.875% and the total is $5.01/12 pack). This equates to $0.42/roll (rounded up). This comes out to an annual TP cost of $171. If our TP consumption were not to change after a SHTF/TEOTWAWKI scenario (i.e. using less, switching to 1-ply, etc.), then it would cost $86 to stock up a 6 mo supply, $171 to stock up a 1 yr supply, and $855 to stock up a 5 yr supply.

Now, the 6 month, and even 1 year cost aren't that big of an expense if you were to run out today and buy it all in one lump sum (e.g. Texas size asteroid is going to hit the Earth in 2 days and you need TP for the coming apocalypse). But, where the numbers really start to get fun is when we talk about space needed to store TP for these durations. A 12 pack of 2-ply TP has the following dimensions: L=13", W= 9", H=9" and a cubic volume of 1,053 cubic inches. A 6 month supply would consist of 17 twelve-packs (rounded up) which would take up 17,901 cubic inches of space (or 10 cubic feet of space). A 1 year supply would consist of 34 twelve-packs which would take up 35,802 cubic inches of space (or 21 cubic feet of space). And the 5 year supply would consist of 170 twelve-packs which would take up 179,010 cubic inches of space (or 104 cubic feet of space).

For those, like me, who have a tough time conceptualizing how much space cubic feet takes up, here are some conversion:
- 6 mo supply (costs $86 and would take up 10 cubic feet) = stack would be about 2.5' high, 2.5' wide, 1.5' deep
- 1 yr supply (costs $171 and would take up 21 cubic feet) = stack would be about 3' high, 3' wide, 2.2' deep
- 5 yr supply (costs $855 and would take up 104 cubic feet) = stack would be about 5' high, 5' wide, 4.2' deep

Of course a reality we must recognize is that if this much TP were available in your home, the ladies in the house would probably just use more and all my numbers would be pointless!

Anyway, was fun. Hope you enjoy!

One year supply for me and my wife here at the house.  I just posted in another thread that we (mostly my wife) average about 1 roll a day.  So I currently have around 360 rolls in the back room.  Essential prep item in my opinion.

Eighteen 24 packs of double rolls.
432 rolls, bought on sale.
Won't go stale.


On sale, buy more.
Not on sale, wait for sale.


Takes up a lot of space, though.

1 roll per day...holy crap!

We're at around 100 and building....

With a 5 year supply of TP you could make the coolest playhouse for your kids.

I'm storing my 1 year supply in the attic. Its the only prep I could store there due to the heat.

If i had the space, I'd buy it by the cord
Speed

Damn.  I thought it was bad when I did the calcs for my family of 5 (wife and I, two daughters (10 and 5) and 1 son (10)).  

Calculated to 280 rolls a year.

K

There is always the corncob option!

I was given a 12 pack when I moved 4 months ago.  I think i'm finishing maybe my second roll?

At my current rate of consumption, my remaining 10 rolls give me 20 months of TP ... which is about 7x longer than I have food or water.

You guys that hoard TP give us a bad name.

how many times a week do u crap at work?

3-4.

You know that's a good question- how many times a week do you crap at work. It seriously affects the calculation. I have 400 rolls stored.The vanities under all the bathroom sinks in the house are full. I have stacked a bunch above the medicine cabinets in both bathrooms- you really can't see it unless you get a stool etc....One small closet in the guest house is full of "paper goods" of several types including TP. Then I have the "long term" stash and like another poster I stuck this in the attic, bunch of space up there but it is hot/cold depending on the season so TP is perfect to store up there. I think there are 3 large Rubbermaid Totes of it up there, been awhile since I looked, just rotate the stuff in the house bathrooms....

Can we get this on Paper?

Here's how I figured out what our years supply was. When I replaced a roll I wrote the date inside of it then when I replaced the used up roll I wrote the date in a notebook. I did this several times so I'd get a better idea due to having two women in the house who go OTR once a month.

I know, I know, I spent waay too much time on this.  

men have TP arithmetic
women add differential calculus to the TP equation

I'm a Cub Scout leader.  We had a leader's meeting last month, and were asked to save TP tubes for the next meeting, so I started throwing them in a basket next to the throne in one of the johns.  8 or 9 days later I saw 7 tubes.  

WTF??  

Break out the calculator....

K

The best price per roll of TP might not be at the discount stores.

Some discount TP rolls have larger diameter cardboard tubes but a similar overall diameter; so less usable TP.

For SHTF think most bang for the buck and that might not be your regular super fluffy 4x feels like rabbit fur stuff.

We use right at a twelve pack per week (Myself, Wife, Two Daughters) .  I will admit that this is one of the weak points in my prep.  I like the suggestion of using the attic.  

One more thing, it is not politically beneficial, nor does it help reduce consumption to complain to females about excessive use.  I have found that the only way to reduce toilet paper use is to take more dumps at work.  

Yep, I too use the attic for TP storage. Costco is my TP supplier.

I laid in large supply of TP, like 5 cases of it. It is the "pre-ban" wider rolls. I can sell that stuff for more than what I paid.

The solution to women's excessive useage of TP is to emphasize to them to use less during a SHtF/TEOTWAWKI, and let them know on uncertain terms that if they don't and you run out, there will be no re-supply.

I bet this is what is going to happen in the Midwest and Eastern Seaboards, practically zero freight is moving, and many of the retailers have zero stock in their stores, because they depend on JIT for re-supply, good for the stockholders because it minimizes inventory, and thus maximizes profits; BUT bad for the consumers because they will have to use corncobs to take care of business. To make matters worse for consumers, in many communities there are anti-gouging laws in place, and so if someone rents a Penske truck and brings in a load of TP and, he can only charge what the normal retailer is going to charge, otherwise he/she will face arrest and fines. Would I risk fines and arrest for a few measly bucks, probably not.

It may take a month to get the normal supply of TP in because the raw materials can't get to the manufacturer, and the manufacturer can't get the stuff to the retailers.

So what happens when the roads are blocked for like 2-3 weeks, you will be out of luck for $h!t tickets? Pass me the corn cob.

Having seen what a wife and teen age daughter can do to a roll of TP in one day  . I'm convinced that it's impossible
for anyone to stock enough TP for a long term SHTF if you have an equal number of females in the mix .

Well if they don't learn to conserve, they are going to get a chance find out what a corn cob will feels like down there.