Wednesday 7 September 2011

Shopping around for the best prices

On my way to Hathersage on Friday, I passed by the door of JTF Warehouse on the outskirts of Sheffield. As you know I keep going on about picking up bits of shopping whenever I pass a place, rather than making a special trip. Cherry picking I call it, getting the best prices from a variety of sources. It is three or four years since I last called into this particular warehouse, because I only buy toilet rolls and wash powder from them, and it is 45 miles away.

JTF started as a Wholesale Warehouse, I used to buy stock for my business, but now they seem to let anyone join, and you can buy single items as well as bulk. You need to check the prices though, because a lot of things are more expensive than the discount stores in town. I see they have started to stock basic food items as well, but looking at the prices they aren't any cheaper than Home Bargains or B & M stores, so I wasn't tempted to buy anything.

This is my remaining stash of toilet rolls, from the last visit, I still have a lot left. Rather than leave it till the last minute to restock, with the possibility of running out, I decided to pick up some more, while I was passing.

The Big Value soft toilet rolls come in packs of 40 at £8.40 a pack, so I bought three packs. Inside the large bag they are in smaller packs of four. It works out at 20p each or 80p for four. I don't know how much they are in a supermarket because I haven't bought any there for years, but I think this price is value for money. They are two ply, not the strongest, but I can still get away with using the minimum, and I don't want to block the drains up with stuff that takes forever to break down.

The soap powder cost £15.40. It says 120 wash pack, which makes it 12p per wash. Again I use the bare minimum here, and can probably get 150 washes out of it getting it down to 10p per wash. And because I never wash my clothes untill they are dirty or smell, it's going to last absolutely ages.

I did a little experiment with the toilet rolls, cutting two of them into pieces ready for use. Mayze always likes to help, ha ha.

Sticking to my rule of, 2 for a pee, 3 for a poo, I got 100 smaller pieces from one roll, and 66 bigger pieces from another roll.


I am happy with that. I did think I might try the wet cloth thingy, but at this price, and with carefull use, I can afford the toilet rolls.

19 comments:

  1. I buy mine at Lidl, they are the cheapest I have found and strong.
    Thanks for the comment, nice to know that you take a peek at the blog, all makes it worthwhile.
    Wouldn't miss yours either.
    Briony
    x

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  2. Our Co-op does special offers of toilet rolls the last time it was Velvet and it worked out at 30 per roll so I got 2 packs. They last for ages, using your allowances.

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  3. tesco toilet rolls, pack of 9 for £1.99

    Josie x

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  4. I use Lidl toilet paper, £1.39 for 10 rolls. Not the best quality but does the job, and after all you are only flushing it away. Did try Nicky toilet paper from Home Bargains, luxury paper £2.00 for 10 rolls. I'd save a fortune though were it not for the kids reeling off armfuls. Tempted to give them their own roll, when they run out then they have to improvise, or a ration pack of so many sheets per day. That'd fix them. ;-) The Army, when on exercise only have so many sheets to do them, quite nasty though, so I won't go into detail. Christy

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  5. Thanks for the info everyone. That Lidl price sounds good, Tesco not too bad. You made me laugh, Christy. You could give your kids one roll each per week and if they want any more they have to buy it from you out of their pocket money, ha ha.

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  6. yep Lydl for me too :-D
    I refuse to use torn up newspaper like my nan did LOL

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  7. We use 2 ply because it is better for our septic..I will NEVER EVER use the paper Izal like my grandma used!! She reckoned it was more hygenic. Do they even still make it?
    Jane x

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  8. I get the Lidl ones too, I think they're better than Andrex.

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  9. re: wet cloth - you can take things too far!!! x

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  10. Aldi brand for us. £1.99 for 9. They are very compacted so there is quite a lot on a roll. I get very angry with myself if I run out and have to pay stupid amounts for loo roll, working out something like 60 per roll! Shocking.

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  11. I only get tp when it is free! Then, I do not use it. I keep a stack of old washcloths on the back of the commode. I use those and launder.

    If and when I get a napkin from McD or something, they go into a basket for poo use. Even poo on a washcloth is easier than poo on cloth diapers. I used cloth diapers for three children, so this is easy for me...and cheap, too.

    I bring out tp for company and hide the washcloths...lol. I just will not use newspaper. My behind would be black.

    Sunshine kills any imaginary germs left behind. No pun intended. And, I do not air my bottom in the sun to keep it clean.

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  12. lol you are all going to laugh... When we were students, I used an old loo roll that I slit right down the side then again with a small knick in it.

    then if I ever went anywhere, pub, college, uni, whilst in the loo, I would add push loo roll into the knick with some inside the roll for grip and then wind the loo roll on to the tube.

    Incase anyone I know reads this, I never did this at anyones house. only in a restaurant, pub, shopping centre. we had no money and it was either that or skip a few too many meals.

    We dont do that any more.

    And please be super careful using napkins etc. they are embossed and wont break down well and may cause blockages in the pipes. At £112 for a call out for some one to look, it will have been cheaper to have bought the loo roll. We used to have shared drains with a family with 3 teenage sons who loved to use loads of charmin loo roll. the drains man must have made mortgage payments from our old drains!

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  13. You're right Sol, I did laugh :o) Our drains are shared here, but thankfully no one has put anything unsuitable down them for a while now.

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  14. I remember my Gran having squares of newspaper stuck on a nail in the loo. It was a corner of the house not outside but opposite the coal house, bare painted brick. It seemed quite normal. I don't remember what we did at home.

    My granddad used to be a photographer and the bathroom was full of his developing stuff. Good job bathing was an irregular occasion.

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  15. Cloth. Give it a try. It's not always about the cost either. I use cloth to save some trees. And flushing is less. Cloth is softer, no chemicals or added colours. It recycles other material that might otherwise be thrown away.

    Cloth rules, lol, don't knock it until you try it. I don't think you'll go back to scratchy ol' paper.

    Barb.
    http://barbsbackyard.blogspot.com/

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  16. Asda pack of 4 Value for 70p (very thin though). Tesco Value x 4 pack used to be 60p now gone up to £1.40 in just 6 months!!! although they have improved the quality.

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  17. for the person who said the kids use loads of toilet roll, try squashing it flat ( i stomp on them in my slippers) they don't whizz round then when kids pull them. Been doing this for years, i find it really works.

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  18. all these comments are cracking me up...I'll do without in other ways and stick to my cheap tp...cloth would give me just one more thing to wash!

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  19. Sorry for a comment on a super old post, I find your diary really interesting so have been reading it backwards(from the most recent post and then going back) instead of watching tv!
    Anyway, I get loo roll from pound stretchers, it's £2.99 for a pack of 18, or two packs for £5.

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