EveryManKnows
Nobody showed you? Start here

Life skills for men, in short guides and checklists

Every man should be able to change a flat tire, jump start a car, tie a tie, iron a shirt, fix a running toilet, cook a handful of dinners, read a pay stub, build a budget and give hands-only CPR. This site turns 224 of those skills into short guides, quick self-checks and printable checklists, and tracks what you have learned on your device.

Open the skills checklistToday's skill

Seventeen categories

Car and Road16 skills. Flat tires, jump starts, fluids, warning lights and what to do after a fender bender.The Toolbox9 skills. The tools worth owning first and how to use them without hurting yourself.Home Fixes16 skills. Clogs, running toilets, drips, breakers, drywall, caulk, paint and the gas smell rule.Yard, Garage and Seasons9 skills. Mowing, mower care, ladders, gutters, snow, frozen pipes, pressure washers and bike flats.Clothes, Fit and Grooming14 skills. Tie knots, ironing, suit fit, shoes, buttons, stains, laundry, shaving and barber talk.Kitchen17 skills. Five dinners, knife skills, eggs, rice, steak, grilling, roast chicken and food safety.Money and Paperwork14 skills. Pay stubs, budgets, emergency funds, credit, the 401k match, taxes, leases and scams.First Aid and Emergencies14 skills. Hands-only CPR, choking, bleeding, burns, AEDs, stroke and heart attack signs, fires and a go-bag.Health and Body Upkeep10 skills. Checkups by age, self-checks, blood pressure at home, lifting form, sleep, drinking and mood.Outdoors11 skills. Campfires, five knots, map and compass, tents, safe water, getting lost, lightning and cold.People and Etiquette19 skills. Handshakes, toasts, small talk, notes, tipping, table manners, apologies, funerals and de-escalation.Work and Career9 skills. Resumes, interviews, salary and raises, email, feedback, quitting well, speaking and networking.Dad and Family10 skills. Diapers, car seats, safe sleep, bottles, crying, childproofing, postpartum support and more.Friends and Headspace9 skills. Asking for help, listening, keeping and making friends, anger, saying no, grief and checking in.Renting and Moving16 skills. Finding a place, applying, documenting move-in, renters insurance, repairs, packing, trucks and the deposit.Tech and Digital Safety16 skills. Passwords, two-step login, backups, updates, routers, scams, hacked accounts and wiping old devices.Fitness Form Basics15 skills. Form cues for the basic lifts and moves: warm-up, push-up, plank, lunge, row, press, bench, pull-up, swing and carry.

The starter 20

If you learn nothing else, learn these. They are the most searched skills with the least risk if you get a step slightly wrong.

  1. How to change a flat tire
  2. How to jump start a car
  3. How to check engine oil
  4. How to tie a tie (four-in-hand)
  5. How to iron a dress shirt
  6. How to sew a button on a shirt
  7. How to read a pay stub
  8. How to make a budget
  9. How to unclog a toilet
  10. How to fix a running toilet
  11. Where is my main water shutoff
  12. How to find a stud (with and without a finder)
  13. Five dinners every man should be able to cook
  14. How to cook a steak to the right doneness
  15. How to do hands-only CPR
  16. How to use a fire extinguisher
  17. How to give a toast or best man speech
  18. How much to tip (restaurants, delivery, services)
  19. How to negotiate salary
  20. Knots every man should know
The starter 20 bundle

How it works

  1. Read one short guide. Each skill opens with the direct answer, then the steps in order, the common mistakes, and, where it matters, exactly when to stop and call a professional.
  2. Check yourself. Three quick questions per skill. Your last score is saved and the review queue brings the skill back before you forget it.
  3. Tick it off. Mark a skill learned once you can do it without the page. Your checklist, streak and printable pages build up from there.

Your checklist, quiz scores and readiness card stay in this browser. Nothing is uploaded and there is no account.

Frequently asked questions

What skills should every man have?

The practical ones that come up in ordinary life: looking after a car, fixing small things at home, cooking a handful of dinners, handling money and paperwork, basic first aid, and getting on with people. This site covers 224 of them in seventeen categories: car and road, the toolbox, home fixes, yard, garage and seasons, clothes, fit and grooming, kitchen, money and paperwork, first aid and emergencies, health and body upkeep, outdoors, people and etiquette, work and career, dad and family, friends and headspace, renting and moving, tech and digital safety and fitness form basics. The starter 20 are the best place to begin.

What are the most important things every man should know how to do?

Start with the skills that protect people and money: hands-only CPR, what to do if you smell gas, finding the main water shutoff, changing a flat tire and jump starting a car, building a budget, and cooking a few dinners. The starter 20 list begins with change a flat tire, jump start a car, check engine oil, tie a tie (four-in-hand), iron a dress shirt, sew a button on a shirt, read a pay stub, make a budget.

Is it too late to learn basic life skills?

No. Most people were never shown these things, and most of the skills here take under half an hour to learn. Pick one a day, read the short guide, take the three-question check, and mark it learned once you can do it without the page open.

Is this site only for men?

No. The title matches what people type into search engines, but every skill here is for anyone who wants it. The voice is written for men who feel nobody showed them, and the Dad and Family category is for dads, stepdads, uncles and anyone raising a kid.

How does progress saving work?

Your checklist, quiz scores and readiness card stay in this browser. Nothing is uploaded and there is no account. Your checklist, quiz scores and readiness card are saved in your own browser on your own device. To move them to another device, export a progress file and import it there; importing always works.

Is it free?

Yes. Everything on the site is free, with no account.