Play

Sport, gaming, the outdoors and whatever you do with a free Saturday.

The transmission quote that almost bought me a new truck

One $3,200 repair bill made a new truck payment look like a bargain. Then somebody asked what the truck costs besides the payment.

GuideHomeRay OkonkwoOct 7, 20266 min

Why the 45-minute faucet job takes an afternoon

The plumber's quote looks like robbery until you add up the three hardware store trips, the seized valve and the wrench you'll use twice in a decade.

Ask BRO

Rewrite my CV so it actually gets read

Ask it

GuideDogs & PetsRay OkonkwoOct 7, 20265 min

The free puppy costs more than the one with a price tag

The cardboard box said FREE. The vet, the pet store and a chewed TV remote had other ideas. Run the real year-one numbers before you say yes.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

PartnerDelicious.com

Money5 min read

The ten-cent gas station that costs you eight dollars

Crossing town for cheaper gas feels like beating the system. Run the real numbers once and you'll never pass three stations again.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

StoryTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 7, 20265 min

The Weekend Rate Isn't a Personal Challenge

What you learn standing in the Saturday line for a floor sander, and the lesson inside every line you'll hear before your name gets called.

StoryCan You Fix ItNina CastellanOct 7, 20265 min

Every Wrong Gray Starts at the Paint Counter

Twelve lines heard over the shaker machine, and the paint lessons that'll save your walls, your weekend and your trim.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

PartnerCancerDefying.com

StoryWoodworkingWes DunbarOct 7, 20265 min

Nobody at the lumber yard thinks your 2x4 is two by four

A Saturday morning in the stacks, a napkin sketch, and the lessons the guys in line learned the hard way so you don't have to.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

StoryCarsDean ShawOct 7, 20265 min

Nobody at the parts counter can guess which engine you have

A Saturday morning in line at the auto parts counter, where every wrong guess comes with a lesson you can use before your next oil change.

StoryHomeWes DunbarOct 7, 20265 min

Nobody walks into the plumbing aisle on purpose

Ten lines from the busiest aisle on a Saturday morning, and the fix behind each one, so you're not the next guy holding a wet sandwich bag.

Ask BRO

Give me something to do with my kids this weekend

Ask it

StoryTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 7, 20265 min

What Gets Said in Aisle Nine Before the Coffee Kicks In

A breaker labeled with a question mark, a paint chip called "wall color," and the real lessons hiding behind every line at the Saturday counter.

Names.com — The name is the first thing you sell

PartnerNames.com

GuideCarsDean ShawOct 7, 20265 min

How to jump a dead car, in the order it really happens

Red to dead, black to metal, and the one cable you'll swear you put in the trunk last winter. A correct jump start with the honest parts left in.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

GuideHomeWes DunbarOct 6, 20266 min

Getting the lights on the roof and yourself back off it

Every step is correct. The asides are what really happens. Holiday lights on the roofline, done safely, with only one trip back to the store.

GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarOct 6, 20266 min

The Doorknob Hole in the Hallway, Fixed the Way It Really Goes

A patch nobody can find later takes three coats, two days and one door stop you should've installed in April. Every step, honestly.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

PartnerShirts.com

GuideGarden & YardWes DunbarOct 6, 20265 min

Your Mower Sat All Winter and Now It Has Opinions

The box says pull the cord. The box hasn't met your shed. How to wake a hibernating mower without wrecking your Saturday or your shoulder.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

Tools & Organizing5 min

How to Build Flat-Pack Furniture and Still Be Speaking Afterward

Cars6 min

Changing your own oil in the driveway, the way it really goes

Ask BRO

Plan a cook for eight people

Ask it

GuideHomeWes DunbarOct 6, 20266 min

Hanging a heavy picture straight on the first try

One frame, two hooks, zero extra holes. The way it really goes, plus the bathroom scale trick nobody mentions.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

PartnerCoconut.com

Can You Fix It5 min read

Replacing a Toilet Flapper Takes Ten Minutes and Two Trips

The cheapest plumbing fix in the house, written the way it really goes, including the second trip to the store nobody plans for.

Poll

How often do you see your closest friends?

Older articles

Older Play stories