The Holy Grail in America right now is toilet paper.

Maybe it's because in many towns and cities across the nation, spying a 12-pack – or even, goal of all goals, a lonely 24-pack sitting angled on an otherwise empty shelf is recently akin to finding a gold nugget while wading in a creek.

So what's a person to do when their precious supply of toilet paper runs out? Desperate times call for desperate solutions. We've got you covered with 12 alternatives to toilet paper for people on a budget.

1. Bidet

A bidet is a water spraying device, designed to clean what toilet paper is intended to. In some countries, they are abundant and common, namely in Europe.

In this TP-deprived climate, articles are being published alleging to help people fix ghetto-rigged bidets. However, they are really just advertising bidets for purchase, in the $20 – $60 range. If this sounds favorable to you, you might want to get one before supplies run short.

If you want to go bidet-crazy and go from a garden hose to a fire hydrant hose, get yourself a "bum gun." These are more common in certain countries as well. It's like a bidet you guide as if it were a hose.

2. Cotton balls

Here's where this article gets survivalistic. The rest of this is essentially catered to people who are really in a difficult situation. Think about it, cotton balls and q-tips work.

3. Mullein leaves

Mullein leaves are a specific type of leaf, known to be fluffy, absorbent and generally gentle to the human body. They can be found in many regions all throughout the world from North America to Australia and everywhere in-between. Make sure to pick the right leaves.

They might have distinct yellow flowers on stalks growing out of the plants, at a certain point of maturity. Mullein plants look like this.

As far as what to avoid, you already know. This is poison ivy, it has three leaves: obviously never touch this or wipe with it.

This is poison oak, the same thing goes for it. It has possibly waxier leaves, with a more "oak" like appearance than the viney nature of poison ivy.