The Self-Employed Man

Be your own boss and still pay the bills: clients, pricing, taxes, tools and time for your family.

The BRO Code. What to do, what not to do, and a few laughs on the way.

Do's & Don'ts: Men Do's & Don'ts: Business Owners

The handbag, coat and boots worth buying once

Three things you use every day, and the parts that decide whether they last ten winters or two. What to inspect, what to read, what to ask.

GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarOct 9, 20267 min

The mower you can fix yourself outlasts the one you can't

Most mowers die of a ten-dollar problem nobody could get a part for. Buy the one with a parts diagram and a socket set's worth of screws.

Ask BRO

Pressure-test my business idea

Ask it

GuideHomeNina CastellanOct 9, 20266 min

Buy the appliance somebody will still be able to fix

A stand mixer is the best test of a kitchen appliance's staying power. Here's how to judge the gearbox, the warranty and the parts catalog before you pay.

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

PartnerNames.com

Style6 min read

A belt and a wallet you'll still be carrying in ten years

Two small pieces of leather, two different ways to fail. Here's what to inspect, what to read in the warranty, and what a cobbler can fix.

Poll

Where does your best time with your kids happen?

GuideWoodworkingDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

A bench vise should outlive you, so buy it like one

Weight, a good screw, and parts you can still get in 2060: how to pick the one shop tool your kids will fight over.

GuideCarsDean ShawOct 9, 20266 min

Spend your money on the stands, not the jack

A floor jack lifts the car. The stands keep it off you. Here's how to buy both once and never think about them again.

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

PartnerCoconut.com

GuideHomeWes DunbarOct 9, 20266 min

The washer people fix is the one built to be opened

Every washing machine wears out something. The ones that last ten-plus years are the ones where that something is cheap, reachable and for sale.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

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

GuideTools & OrganizingDean ShawOct 9, 20265 min

A drill outlives its battery. Buy the battery first.

The motor will run for years. The pack that feeds it won't. Here's how to buy a cordless drill that's still useful in 2035.

StoryOld SchoolNina CastellanOct 9, 20264 min

Over or under, and the real crime on the roll

My wife and I have fought about the toilet paper for six years. Grandma heard both sides over pie and ruled in about forty seconds.

Ask BRO

Rehearse the raise conversation with me

Ask it

GuideHomeWes DunbarOct 9, 20266 min

The vacuum that lasts is the one you can open

The motor gets the credit and the blame. The belt, the brush roll, the filter and the battery are what actually decide how long a vacuum stays in your house.