Q&A | Can you paint an umbrella? plus more.
Every Monday, I answer a few of the questions that my readers send me. If you have a question you'd like me to answer in a future Q&A post, just leave me a comment here or email me (thefrugalgirl [at] gmail [dot] com) and put Q&A in the subject line. I look forward to hearing from you!
A few years ago my husband and I bought a nice-quality umbrella (heavy canvas) with wooden stand and ribs for our deck. We paid around $300. The umbrella has faded from a brilliant cobalt blue to an uneven grey with lines which looks beat up and old.
Similar umbrellas are now $400, and it seems ridiculous to buy a BRAND new set when the stand and ribs are OK. New canvas covers are $170 from Sunbrella, which seems very expensive.
We've considered turning the umbrella material inside out it would look new on the top, but that would require switching the "pockets" where the umbrella rays fit into the cloth (which would require a heavy-duty sewing machine (which I do not have) or dying the faded side, but the umbrella is rather large and we'd need to get water proofed dye, etc. And we're not sure it would work.
-Millicent
I think it's great that you want to rehab your current umbrella. I agree that turning it inside out seems like a lot of work and since you don't own a heavy duty sewing machine, it would be an expensive endeavor.
Instead of dying it, I wonder if you could paint it. I haven't done it myself, but after poking around on the internet a bit, it looks like a number of other people have. Here's a post from Home Depot and this painted red umbrella looks pretty darn good!
So, I think I'd opt for the paint idea myself.
Do you know of any frugal reusable solutions for foil and/or plastic wrap? On earth911 I found some foil replacement tips however they are a bit pricey to buy enough to replace using foil completely.
Specifically, I am using it to cover my ribs in the oven right now and as a heat retainer for party serving. We do not use foil or wraps for food storage. All containers for us;)
Thanks!
-Holly
Gosh, I don't know what to recommend to replace foil for your purposes. You've already opted to use other means for storing food, which is awesome.
My only idea is to use the super heavy duty foil, which is tough enough to withstand cleaning for reuse, especially if you're using it for something less messy than ribs. I often reuse my foil when I'm making something like roasted carrots.
Hopefully my readers will have some bright solutions for you.
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Ok, people! You know the drill. Let your thoughts and opinions fly!
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For foil use, I just bought a silicon topper which can replace foil for oven use. Google "charles viancin silicon lid" or search that on amazon. It's oven, freezer, microwave, fridge, and dishwasher safe. And it really makes an airtight seal on smooth lips of pans, bowls, etc.
Thanks everyone for foil tips!! Great advice.
I wash and reuse both foil and cling wrap. Kristen's right, the heavy duty foil stands up to many washings. Just don't wash foil in the dishwasher. It will wear out faster. If I'm needing foil for something like a pan of lasagna (something flat on top) I just use a metal baking pan, turned upside down. I have several, so there's always one that fits my base baking dish just right.
When aluminum foil-type pie pans come our way, we reuse them as much as possible. Once they get cuts in them, they make great form-fit covers for roasting whole chickens (when you reach the point you don't want it to overbrown but it still needs more roast time).
I am pulling my money out of Capital One because the interest rate has dropped. I kept my savings in ING because the interest rate was WAY higher than my brick-and-mortar bank, but now they're about the same. I just worry that if the interest rate is changing, what else will?
Other than that, I am very please with the lack of change I've seen so far.
I may have to try those savings accounts. I have all these ideas for budgeting car maintenance, birthday gifts, and other semi-regular occurrences, but in real life it never happens!
That was totally me before I opened my accounts. I just could NEVER get on top of that until then. Once I started the online accounts, though, I've been awesome at regularly setting aside money for semi-regular expenses.
As far as replacing foil for party service, I have an old, old turkey roasting pan. The lid is about 2½ times as tall as the pan is deep. That lid is amazing. It can cover two good-size bowls of and keeps them toasty warm.
Just FYI, ING Direct was part of ING Group which is a huge corporation based in the Netherlands. Wikipedia says it is the worlds 18th largest corporation by revenue (source provided). I'm not sure how big Capital One is compared to this.
I also have an account at Capital One and I have not noticed any major changes since it changed hands. It seems to be as good an internet bank as any. I personally prefer to use a local credit union, but I like to keep some money in several places just in case.
Hmm. Well, I guess I should say that they FELT like a small company. Ha.
Foil I try to reuse a few times before tossing it in the recycling bin. Yes, you can recycle foil (at least in some areas you can!)
For your uses, try an upside down sheet pan to cover your ribs (providing the walls of your pan will support it of course) and as for keeping food cool when resting use an upside down stainless bowl or the lid off a roasting pan or a kettle grill even if you're making a turkey. Hooray for multi-taskers!
My main use of plastic wrap was covering yeast bread while it rose. After buying a dozen or so Ikea Tekla towels ( http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10100909/ ) I use those instead. I write the date on the boxes of stuff when I open them (because I'm weird like that) and the plastic wrap was opened early last year and it's maybe half gone. I may leave this stuff in my will.
I keep wanting to do that (write the date on my plastic wrap!) to see how long it takes me to use a package. I just used the last of one that I know I've had for a number of years, but I don't know how many.
So, the next one I buy is going to be dated!
For covering yeast bread while it raises, my mom and I use an empty cereal bag and sometimes a light towel on top of that. When the bread dough would stick to the wax cereal bag, it is a lot easier to clean it off than the towel. I eat a lot of cereal, so it is something I already have on hand. 🙂
For the outdoor umbrella- You can buy the entire umbrella at IKEA for less than $100, not just the cover.
Sure, you can just go out and buy a new one, but where's the challenge in that? If you can renew the original and make it last longer, it keeps it out of the landfill and secures at least $100 (including tax, plus the time and gas to and fro) in your pocket. After all, this is the Frugal Girl blog. Hee!
For foil replacement - I'm a big fan of pyrex baking dishes with lids. I got mine at the thrift store, and I totally LOVE them. Some have flat lids, others have domed lids so I can usually find one that works for whatever I need.
I have terrible luck washing foil... I can generally find a way to use it 2-3 times, but beyond that even the heavy duty stuff seems to rip and tear.
I haven't noticed any difference with the Capital One savings account, but my mortgage is another story. I use to make a payment every other Friday and usually paid extra principal. ING never had a problem applying the payment correctly, but Capital One can't seem to get it right. During a conversation with a customer service rep, I was given numerous excuses why not, some which conflicted with each other, and included "we can't do that" and "you entered it wrong". Interesting since I've done it for years without issue before the switch. I gave up and just make a regular payment now and stash the extra in my savings account to make a lump sum principal payment later on.