This episode features two conversations focused on making your money go further.
First, Tara Busch joins Steve to discuss how travelers can save money and create a better overall experience by understanding the difference between peak, shoulder, and true off-seasons. She explains why “off-season” can sometimes mean that hotels, restaurants, transportation, and entire destinations are partially closed, how traveling with flexible dates can lead to better value, and why reaching out to independent hotels directly may unlock better rates, upgrades, longer-stay discounts, or other benefits.
Tara also shares why travelers should build a trip around their own priorities instead of somebody else’s bucket list, why location and time can sometimes be more valuable than choosing the cheapest hotel, and how planning roughly a year ahead can provide more flexibility with airfare and accommodations. She emphasizes creating a realistic budget with room for unexpected expenses while focusing spending on the experiences that matter most to you.
Later in the episode, Antonia Bensusan Millé joins Steve to discuss another way families can stretch their budgets: purchasing discounted gift cards for retailers they already use. She explains how shoppers can combine discounted gift cards with existing sales, rebates, and other savings strategies to reduce back-to-school and everyday expenses, and why turning small discounts into a regular shopping habit can add up over time.
Tara Busch is the Founder and CEO of Conscious Travel Collective, a boutique travel company focused on creating highly personalized, meaningful travel experiences that connect travelers more deeply with local people, culture, and place.
With a professional background spanning both education and the travel industry, Tara brings a teacher’s curiosity and attention to detail to her work as a travel designer.
Through Conscious Travel Collective, she works closely with independent hotels, local guides, drivers, and other partners to create custom journeys that support local communities while giving travelers access to experiences that go beyond conventional tourism.
Tara is also an advocate for responsible and intentional travel. Her work emphasizes authentic local connection, sustainability, and designing trips around the individual traveler rather than a generic checklist of attractions.
She has been involved with the RISE Travel Institute since 2020 and continues to share her expertise through travel education, speaking, and destination research.
Antonia Bensusan Millé is a marketing professional with CardCookie, a U.S. marketplace where consumers can buy discounted gift cards for national retailers and use them to reduce the cost of purchases they were already planning to make.
Her current professional profile identifies her with CardCookie and reflects a broader background in marketing and digital communications. Through CardCookie, Antonia helps educate consumers about incorporating discounted gift cards into their regular shopping routines.
The platform allows shoppers to purchase cards for participating retailers at less than face value, with discounts varying by brand, and backs retail purchases with a 100-day purchase guarantee. Learn More About Current Offers:
CardCookie Back to School Sale
Target gift cards up to 10% off