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Over the past year, we’ve been stuck at home more than ever. What does that mean? Besides boredom and a bit of cabin fever, it means that you’ve probably been buying more household essentials than you’re used to.

While you may have saved on eating out and other entertainment expenses, these extra household essentials can add up. And since you need everyday items like paper towels, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, and the like, it’s not like you can cut them off of your list.

What’s your best move then? To see how to save on those essentials so you can get what you need without overpaying. These tips will help you do just that.

1. Buy your paper towels at office supply stores.

If you have kids, pets, or live in a chaotic household, you know that paper towels are a must. And even though you may pick them up when grocery shopping, you may want to shop elsewhere for these necessities.

What’s a place that’s ideal for purchasing paper towels? Believe it or not, the office supply store. Whether it’s Staples, Office Depot, or some similar store, things like paper towels, bottled water, and other items can be had on the cheap.

Need an example? Look at Bounty Mega Rolls. A 12-pack of these paper towels can be bought at Staples for $14 after coupons. Buy them in another store, and you could have to fork out $25 for the very same item.

You can find great deals on paper towels and more at office supply stores by doing the following:

1. Visit their websites.
2. Look for coupons.
3. Make your purchases online.
4. Select free in-store pickup.

2. Go online for your batteries.

Instead of buying batteries from the checkout lane at Walmart, try getting them from Amazon.com. A 24-pack of Duracell AA batteries usually costs around $10 on Amazon, while they can be $4 more at Walmart.

Will you have to pay shipping costs on Amazon. If you’re not a Prime member, you might. But if you buy $25 worth, you can get free shipping, so stock up on batteries for an emergency so you can snag those savings.

3. Use Dollar General for detergent.

Have you been to Dollar General lately? If not, you may want to go the next time you need laundry detergent. Even though we recommended Amazon above, Dollar General can beat their low prices. Here’s an example:

• A 40-ounce bottle of Gain detergent: Less than $2 at Dollar General with coupons from the store’s free app or circular.
• That same bottle of Gain detergent at Amazon: About $7.70.

Those are major savings on an item you’ll need to keep your clothes clean. And you can get even more savings at Dollar General on things like sponges that cost around $1 for a six-pack. How much are six similar sponges on Amazon.com? $5.

4. Go to Costco for cleaning supplies.

Buying food in bulk may not be your best bet since it can go bad. But cleaning supplies won’t go bad, and you’ll need them every time you want to keep your home tidy.

A study found that buying cleaning supplies in bulk at a store like Costco is 19 percent cheaper than Amazon. Keep this in mind the next time you need to pick some up.