SHOW NOTES:

It is officially December, which means temperatures are dropping, the holidays are fast approaching, and your to-do list is likely growing by the minute. Whether you are stressing about getting your home guest-ready or worrying about winterizing your plumbing before travel, we’re here to help you tackle those projects without breaking the bank.

- Winterizing Pipes: We share critical steps to prevent burst pipes, such as wrapping them in foam insulation and letting faucets drip slightly during extreme cold snaps to relieve pressure.

- 2026 Real Estate Forecast: After years of high rates, experts predict a stabilizing market for 2026, with mortgage rates potentially dropping to around 5.9% and home prices seeing steady, modest growth.

- Holiday Hosting Hacks: We discuss stress-free ways to prep your home for guests, including focusing cleaning efforts only on visible rooms, adding warm lighting, and using natural scents like cinnamon and pine.

- Plumbing Safety Tip: We explain the importance of tagging your main water valve and turning off washing machine water supply valves before leaving home for extended periods to prevent flooding.

Q & A:

- Debbie from Arkansas found liquid nails stuck to a brick wall behind old plaster. We advise covering it with furring strips or installing faux brick panels rather than ruining the brick by trying to remove the adhesive.

- Rochelle from Delaware has a cracking, dipping concrete slab in her kitchen and received a pricey quote for foam injection. We suggest she consult a structural engineer first or use a floor leveling compound instead of jumping to injection.

- Victoria from Arkansas asked if she could patch small areas of missing shower grout without redoing the whole wall. We confirm she can spot-repair it, but advise doing a test patch to ensure the new sandy grout color matches perfectly.

- Darlene from Baltimore asked for insulation advice to block noise from a stairwell wall. We recommend opening the wall to install mineral wool insulation combined with sound-deadening drywall like QuietRock.

- Brandon sent an email to ask about replacing two-prong outlets in a 1940s home. We strongly advise against DIY electrical work and suggest hiring an electrician to install GFCIs or verify if the boxes are grounded.

ASK A QUESTION:

Need help with your own home improvement or décor question? We’d love to help! Call the show 24/7 at 888-MONEY-PIT (888-666-3974) or post your question here: https://www.moneypit.com/ask.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tony and Fingers keep the Thanksgiving weekend chill rolling with another round of the Arturo Fuente Rare Pink Sophisticated Hooker, then turn to meat, money, and modern misery.

First up: meat. They shout out Defiance Beef, talking quarter, half, and whole cow orders, 21-day aging, ribeyes, strips, brisket, and why freezer beef might be the smartest “Black Friday” buy you can make.

Then Tony unveils his own barrel pick:

• Old Hamer 11-Year Single Barrel (selected by Tony Katz)

• 99% corn, 1% malted barley, a monster at 127.6 proof

• Big butterscotch, cocoa, oak, cinnamon heat, sting on the tongue but a surprisingly gentle chest warmth

Fingers nearly tears up after a sip and warns that this pairing—Rare Pink plus 127-proof bourbon—is not for the faint of heart.

From there, they dig into the real world:

• Foreclosures up 20%, car repos climbing, and zero-percent car deals that scream “trouble.”

• Why some people are still spending like crazy while falling behind on mortgages and auto loans.

• Streaming overload: multiple services, skyrocketing sports rights, and how NFL Sunday Ticket and exclusive games are punishing traditional cable viewers.

• The slow fade of channels like MTV and Cartoon Network, and what that means for old-school cable.

Big cigar, bigger bourbon, and a sober look at an economy that doesn’t quite add up.

All that, and more, on an all-new Eat Drink Smoke!

Follow Eat Drink Smoke on social media!
X (Formerly Twitter): @GoEatDrinkSmoke
Facebook: @eatdrinksmoke
IG: @EatDrinkSmokePodcast

The Podcast is Free! Click Below!

Apple Podcasts
Amazon Music
Stitcher 
Spotify

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.