International and Domestic Travel Tips

Summary

Podcast Summary: Jill on Money with Jill Schlesinger

Episode: International and Domestic Travel Tips

Date: August 3, 2026
Host: Jill Schlesinger, CFP®
Guest/Co-Host: Mark Tularcio

---

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Jill Schlesinger and co-host Mark Tularcio dive into the financial realities—and mental health importance—of taking a vacation. Their conversation moves from practical cost-saving travel tips (especially in the current economic climate), to a lively discussion about the value of time off, creative "staycation" ideas, must-do city activities, and a segment recorded for CBS Mornings that covers everything from car rentals to the perennial "travel insurance: worth it or waste it?" debate. The tone is upbeat, practical, and encouraging, aiming to empower listeners to better enjoy summer, wherever their budget (or lack thereof) allows.

---

Key Discussions & Insights

1. The Value of a Vacation—Regardless of Budget

• Recharging is non-negotiable:
  • Jill: “The recharging thing...you just have to stop whatever your routine was. And I think it’s so critical for everybody to do this.” [02:58]
• Even staycations count:
  • Mark: “Even if you're just staying like a staycation? Yes, absolutely. I fully endorse it.” [02:53]

Insight:
Time off is vital. Whether it’s a grand trip or a no-cost staycation, breaking out of your daily routine is essential for mental health and resilience.

2. Saving Money on Summer Travel

• Introduction of the AAA Trip Tool for mapping cheapest gas stations on road trips.
  • Gayle King: “AAA has this very cool tool where you can say, here’s where I’m starting, here’s my destination, here’s my car, here’s the year. And it will tell you where to fill up along the way...” [06:02]
• Rental car tips: Use big member clubs like Costco, BJ’s, AARP, and AAA for discounts. Be careful about the insurance upsell at the desk.
  • Gayle King: “A lot of credit cards offer car insurance... it's not going to be cheap, but maybe if you shave 5 or 10% off, great.” [06:29]

3. Travel Insurance: Is It Worth It?

Rapid-Fire "Worth it or Waste it?" Segment:

• Travel Insurance:
  • Jill: “You have a medical condition yourself, you might want to do it. You have an aging parent, you may want to do it. But for most people, probably you’re going to be able to recycle some of the dollars you’ve spent into a rebooking afterwards.” [07:23]
• Jill’s Take, Later:
  • “Except if you need it. ... Most U.S. health insurance policies do not cover medical care [abroad]. ... Most of these policies offer like a half a million dollars in medical evacuation coverage...and it’s just not that much money...” [09:21]

Insight:
Travel insurance is situational. Know your risks (health, family circumstance, destination), understand your home insurance exclusions, and buy for peace of mind—not because a website prompts you to.

4. Currency Exchange and International Spending

• Don’t obsess over converting currency ahead of time:
  • Jill: “I just don’t use the local cash that much. You know, I just don’t.” [09:58]
  • Mark: “If I was, I would never do it here. I would always wait until I get to the destination. ... You go to the ATM and just get a few bucks.” [10:17]
• Check with your card company about international fees and ATM networks before you go.
  • Jill: “Let your credit card company know that you’re traveling outside of the US or let your bank know...what bank branch locally can I use without getting whacked for a fee?” [10:40]

5. Spending Guilt & Vacation Budgeting

• Set your budget ahead of time—don't stress while on vacation.
  • Jill: “[I] hate for you to worry about how much you’re spending while you’re there. All those decisions should be taking place before you go, truly.” [11:13]

6. “Staycation” Ideas & Local Tourism Gems

• Explore local sights as if you’re a tourist in your own town.
  • Jill: “If it’s really like, if you are pinched financially...start researching about how to be a tourist in your own town. ... Do the things that you haven’t done.” [11:37]
• Historical New York tip:
  • Mark: “Go down to Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan...the original fence from 1776...you will see the saw marks from 1776 still there.” [12:27]
• Try local boat and architectural tours for a new perspective on your city.
  • Jill: “The Architectural Society of New York has a tour around Manhattan where you can look at the architecture of the city.” [13:43]

7. The Importance of Actually Taking Time Off

• For all professions—physical and mental refreshment is crucial.
  • Jill: “Just getting off your feet and also getting out of that routine...you have to take care of yourself. ... People are burnt out...I do think it really does help you, gang.” [14:20]

8. Interactive Segments: Listener Feedback and Invitations

• Call to action for listeners to submit questions or to be on the air.
  • Jill: “Go to jillonmoney.com, click the contact us button. Write us a note if you would like to come on the air. Just check the box. Mark will do everything else.” [02:58], [15:45]
• Looking for diverse and focused listener questions, especially for the "Money Moves" YouTube show.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I think that the, the recharging thing...you just have to stop whatever your routine was. And I think it’s so critical for everybody to do this.”
  — Jill Schlesinger, [02:58]

• “If your emergency fund is more than 12 months of your living expenses, yeah, you can spend it. ... Why are you investing if not to enjoy yourself a little bit along the way?”
  — Gayle King, [08:23]

• “I haven’t really converted any substantial amount of money since I think 2013. ... You just go to the ATM and just get a few bucks. That’s all.”
  — Mark Tularcio, [10:17]

• “If you’re into history...go down to Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan...that is the original fence from 1776...You will see the saw marks from 1776 still there.”
  — Mark Tularcio, [12:27]

• “I am very much a fan of just letting your brain rest. ... You gotta take care of yourself.”
  — Jill Schlesinger, [14:20]

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Why Vacations (Even Cheap Ones) Matter – [02:16][02:53][02:58]
• AAA Fuel Savings & Car Rental Tips – [06:02][06:29]
• Travel Insurance Debate – [07:12][07:23][09:14]
• International Currency/Credit Card Tips – [09:58][10:17][10:40]
• Staycation & Local Tourist Advice – [11:37][12:27][13:43]
• Tips for Taking Time Off (Mental Health) – [14:20]
• Listener Interaction & Show Plug – [15:45]

---

Final Takeaways

• Take a break—it's an investment in yourself. Whether you have the funds for a big trip or not, prioritize downtime and creative local escapes.
• Plan money moves before you travel. Decide your spending limits, research fees, and leverage member discounts and credit card perks when possible.
• Travel insurance is a personal call, but consider medical coverage gaps abroad.
• Don’t stress about currency exchanges. ATMs and credit cards usually suffice in most destinations.
• Be a tourist in your own city—there’s always something new to discover.
• Jill and Mark invite your questions: They want focused, actionable listener challenges and stories for the show.

---

For more tips or to submit your own financial question, visit jillonmoney.com.

Transcript

[Jill Schlesinger]

Many of you have grown up in

a household where money was a stressful

topic, and that may leave you anxious

about your own finances as an adult.

But your money story may change completely when you start using Monarch. Monarch can give you the clearest picture

of your finances by tracking all of

your accounts, investments and savings goals in one place. It's like having a little financial advisor

right in your pocket.

Monarch provides an AI weekly recap which flags sudd spending spikes or net worth shifts before they become problems completely taking the mental load off your plate. Unlike other apps that only show you what you've already spent, Monarch helps you look forward. You can even ask the AI assistant direct questions like can I afford this vacation without touching my savings? Write your own money story with Monarch Use Code Jill [e-mail] to get your first year of Monarch Corner Core Half off at just 50 bucks. That's 50% off your first year at monarch.com with code JILLONMONEY hey gang, you

[Sponsor/Announcer]

know, over the years I've realized one of the biggest limitations in business isn't a lack of an idea. It's the manual follow up the legacy systems that demand your constant attention. Way back when, I remember the frustration of having to take a morning off just to drive to a physical branch to sign a piece of paper, which felt incredibly outdated in a world of digital first companies. Banking on Mercury eliminates that frustration entirely. It's a best in class software experience that feels intuitive and reliable. From day one you can apply online in minutes and immediately start using smart features like bill pay where you can just scan an invoice and the system handles the rest. You can even set up recurring payments and automated transfers to keep your accounts balanced perfectly. It's a smart all in one home for your finances that scales with you, allowing you to focus on the big picture of while the software handles the details. Visit mercury.com to learn more and apply online in minutes. Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC insured bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N A Members FDIC.

[Jill Schlesinger]

Welcome to the Jill on Money Show. It's Monday, August 3rd and if you haven't taken your summer break, maybe you are thinking about taking a summer break. Maybe this is the time where you are saying okay, I have had enough. I've had enough of Jill, I've had enough of Mark. I just need to get away. And maybe you're like yeah, maybe not. Maybe I don't have the money to do it. Maybe other things are going on Mark and I Wanted to make sure we talked about the importance of taking vacation. So, Mark, come on the microphone. Let's talk a little bit about how, even if you don't have the money to do it, how important a vacation really can be.

[Mark Tularcio]

No. Even if you don't go anywhere, Even if you're just staying like a staycation? Yes, absolutely. I fully endorse it.

[Jill Schlesinger]

And I think that the, the recharging thing, again, you just have to stop whatever your routine was. And I think it's so critical for everybody to do this now. If you're like, jill, come on, I can't afford it. Or I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to relax. All I can do is save. Well, get in touch with us, Mark and I can coach you about your vacation time. Go to jillonmoney.com, click the contact us button. Write us a note if you would like to come on the air. Just check the box. Mark will do everything else while you are on the website. Don't forget to sign up for the free weekly newsletter which comes out on Fridays, by the way. Mark, Jackie just said to me this morning, why am I getting so many emails from you?

[Mark Tularcio]

It's two a week. What is she talking about?

[Jill Schlesinger]

I said it's two a week. It's not that much. It's like the weekly email which comes out on Fridays. And then whatever blog post I've written for the week, it comes out separately. She was like, oh, I guess I didn't realize that. I think she might have deleted everything I've ever sent her. Truly. So there's that. It's nice to have your, your love partner be so interested. Does Amanda read our weekly emails?

[Mark Tularcio]

The better question is, does she know that it exists? And the answer would probably be no.

[Jill Schlesinger]

You have to get her to at least sign up for it because we get credit for that. Sign up for the free weekly newsletter. We don't really even monetize it. Hey, you know what else you can do while you are on the website? You can check out our new show. It's called Money Moves and it is starring Jill Schlesinger and Mark Tularcio where we are doing a different kind of show. It's a YouTube show and you can sign up at YouTube, you can sign up on our website. You can check it out. Mark, I have to tell you, as much as you detest doing it, I am getting such good feedback about you. Okay, friend of the show, very interesting, deep CBS person sends me a very separate email and says you gotta tell Mark he's killing it. I love him.

[Mark Tularcio]

Do I know this person?

[Jill Schlesinger]

Yeah, you do. But I'm not gonna out this person on the air. But I'm gonna tell you off the air. But it was, like, glowing.

[Mark Tularcio]

I think you and I spoke recently. I think if we can work on the setup and the feel and just the whole interaction between the two of us, I think it'll get better from there.

[Jill Schlesinger]

It's so good now. Mark's doing a great job and so am I. I mean, we're just in early days. I just wanna say that. But I'm very proud of it. And so check it out. Money moves. You gotta check it out on yout. So you can always just get the audio version on the Odyssey app wherever you find your favorite podcast. Okay, so let's get back to your vacation. So, Mark, I recently did a segment with CBS Mornings talking about summer vacations and what's going on. And so I thought it would be fun to air the segment and then come back and talk a little bit more about that. So here is a segment on CBS Mornings about summer travel. Ways to save what's going on. This is with your anchors, Nate Burleson, Gayle King, and back from the old days, Norah o'. Donnell.

[Nate Burleson]

Okay, a lot of people hitting the road this summer, but gas prices are way up. What can you do to save money?

[Gayle King]

Well, AAA has this very cool tool where you can say, here's where I'm starting. Here's my destination, here's my car, here's the year. And it will tell you where to fill up along the way because a lot of people are like, oh, I gotta fill up immediately. That's cool. What an amazing tool. So AAA shout out. Great tool. Do that. And of course, planning your trip and not taking little sojourns away from the main route will save you money.

[Nate Burleson]

Of course, good information. And what are some ways to save money if you have to rent a car?

[Gayle King]

Well, renting has always been a problematic experience because you go there to the desk and they're like, do you want the insurance? And you're sort of inclined to be like, of course I want the insurance, but probably you don't need it, especially if you have car insurance. A lot of credit cards offer car insurance. Renting a car is still expensive. It's come down from the pandemic era. But it is really good to think about the insurance piece. And then also you should check with some of the big clubs like BJ's, and you think that, like, you could go to Costco and a lot of the AARP and aaa, they have great rental ability here to defray some of the costs. It's not going to be cheap, but maybe if you shave 5 or 10% off, great.

[Norah O'Donnell]

Worth it or waste it?

[Gayle King]

Let's do it.

[Norah O'Donnell]

Throw out some things and you tell us, is it worth it or waste it? Let's start with travel insurance.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Maybe

[Norah O'Donnell]

I never get it.

[Gayle King]

Ok.

[Nate Burleson]

I don't know.

[Gayle King]

I'll tell you why.

[Nate Burleson]

Always when I book a flight online, it says, do you want the travel insurance?

[Gayle King]

I don't do that, but I will tell you, it depends. Here's why. You have a medical condition yourself, you might want to do it. You have an aging parent, you may want to do it. But for most people, probably you're going to be able to recycle some of the dollars you've spent into a rebooking afterwards.

[Nate Burleson]

Because we travel so much, we can just use the credit, right?

[Norah O'Donnell]

That is true.

[Nate Burleson]

You don't travel a lot.

[Norah O'Donnell]

What about converting your currency if you're traveling internationally? So I always do that.

[Gayle King]

I know it's good to do it before, but a lot of places you're traveling to, you may need a long lead time. Good thing to do is to check with your credit card and just say, hey, what are the transaction fees? Check to see which ATMs where you're going are in your network. That's a good way to save it. I don't think it's generally worth it because I think it's a pain in the neck. But if you have the time, great. But I never plan that far in advance.

[Norah O'Donnell]

And then I get there and use a credit card anyway. Exactly.

[Gayle King]

And then you're stuck with the currency. But you'll go back hopefully.

[Norah O'Donnell]

Yes.

[Nate Burleson]

Yes. What about dipping into your emergency fund or selling stock to go on a vacation?

[Gayle King]

Does anyone think Nora's judging this?

[Jill Schlesinger]

I think you are.

[Gayle King]

I mean, okay, wait a second. If your emergency fund is more than 12 months of your living expenses, yeah, you can spend it. And if you've saved money and invested in a big brokerage account and you're scared to sell because you're like, oh, I don't want to pay taxes, why are you investing if not to enjoy yourself a little bit along the way? You don't have to kill yourself a little bit. I say worth it as long as you have all of your bases covered.

[Jill Schlesinger]

All right. Mark, are you. You're not driving anywhere. But I was like, the reason why I started with that AAA tool is That I thought it was awesome. So everyone check out that AAA tool. It's amazing. Very good. And of course, sucker bet to get insurance when you rent a car. But I think that it's important for us to kind of hang here a little bit on travel insurance for a second. Now, Mark, do you get travel insurance or not?

[Mark Tularcio]

No, I haven't. I'm not to say that I. It'll never happen in the future. It might. I think it depends on the circumstances and where we are.

[Jill Schlesinger]

Yeah, I think that, like, where you go is important. But, you know, I thought it was interesting because a lot of people said to me, like, came to me after the segment aired and they were like, oh, it's, you know, it's such a waste of money to get travel insurance. I'm like, yeah, except if you need it. And you know, again, if people need it, it's not that expensive. But just remember that most U.S. health insurance policies do not cover medical care. So that's an issue. And, you know, some. If you're going to a weird place, a remote place, most of these policies offer like a half a million dollars in medical evacuation coverage, sometimes even more. And it's just not that much money, I have found. So I do it. It's all peace of mind, like all insurance. You know, a lot of people came back to me and said, oh, gosh, you're such a dingbat. You should always convert your money before you leave. I just don't use. I don't use the local cash that much. You know, I just don't.

[Mark Tularcio]

First of all, I no longer convert. I think we spoke about this on the other show, Money Moves. I haven't really converted any substantial amount of money since I think 2013. You know, if I was, I would never do it here. I would always wait until I get to the destination. You're just gonna get. It's a better. It's. You're gonna get better rates. It's better value. And, you know, if we ever need, like, pocket change when we're somewhere, you just go to the ATM and just get a few bucks. That's all.

[Jill Schlesinger]

You know, One thing it is good to do is if you, especially if you haven't really traveled outside of the US Is to let your credit card company know that you're traveling outside of the US or let your bank know and find out, like, hey, is there an atm? Let's just pretend you're going to Madrid. What bank branch locally can I use without getting whacked for a fee? I think that's a very good idea. You know, the other thing about just spending money in vacation, I think a lot of people kind of. How can I say this? Like, if you're going to make the decision to go ahead and be on vacation, I hate for you to worry about how much you're spending while you're there. All those decisions should be taking place before you go, truly. And if it's really like, if you are pinched financially, well, then what I think is great is, you know, you do your staycation and you kind of start researching about how to be a tourist in your own town. You know, when are the museums open for free? Where can you go where it's fun, something you just haven't done, and even if it's like a, you know, a car ride away, a bus ride away, you know, Mark, a friend of mine at work was telling me that she went down to Governor's island, which is, you know, it's a very cool thing here in New York. What was it? It. Was it, was it a military. Military facility? Right. I don't think it is anymore. But anyway, they redeveloped it and they turned it into this fun thing. And people go down there and it's like, it really does feel like you're getting away from the, the place. And I know every single place where you guys are listening from. Have fun things that you've never done. So treat your location as if you were a tourist and do the things that you haven't done. So, Mark, what is the thing in New York you have not done?

[Mark Tularcio]

Oh, I don't know if there's much that I haven't done. I, I've done. I mean, I've taken a zillion walking tours in this city. I, I've done, I think three this year. So I do a lot of that. But, yeah, I've kind of done almost everything there is to do New York. But I will say, if you're ever, if anyone's coming to New York and you're into history, the number one thing that I would do is I would go down to Bowling Green in Lower Manhattan. And if you're into that time period, like the Revolutionary War, and you go to Bowling Green park and you see the fence that's surrounding the park right now, today in 2026, that is the original fence from 1776, when there was a statue of King George III standing, and the patriots ran down Broadway, tore down the statue, and that fence at the time had little like crowns all along the top that encircled the whole park. They sawed off the crowns. You go down there today, you will see the saw marks from 1776 still there.

[Jill Schlesinger]

Look at that tip. Amazing. Alexander Hamilton. You also see Alexander Hamilton.

[Mark Tularcio]

Yeah. He's buried right there at Trinity Church.

[Jill Schlesinger]

Exactly right. Trinity Church right down Trinity Place where the American Stock Exchange used to res. I mean, the seat of Wall street was in lower Manhattan. And as is all of the. The old New York is there.

[Mark Tularcio]

Right.

[Jill Schlesinger]

One other fabulous thing you can do. I did this in Chicago and I'm trying to do it in New York, but I have to kind of make sure Jackie gets a seasick patch for her ear. Is when I was in Chicago, we did an architectural tour from boat by boat and there is one in New York. The Architectural Society of New York has a tour around Manhattan where you can look at the architecture of the city. It's so cool to be able to do that. And if you get out on the water in New York, you have such a different view of what this place is. So encourage you all to come to New York and enjoy yourselves. Spend a lot of money. Right, Mark? This is good for us.

[Mark Tularcio]

Nothing's cheap.

[Jill Schlesinger]

And enjoy wherever you are. But do take a break. Even if you think it's just like, oh, you know, just a little something, an extra day here or there. I am, you know, very much a fan of just letting your brain rest. And I think that that's a very good thing to do, especially if you're a knowledge worker. If you're working something that's physical, that you're a doctor, you're a nurse, you're a pa Just getting off of your feet and also getting out of that routine of like being in a care industry. Like, you gotta take care of yourself. You have to take care of yourself. I can't tell you how many people have been calling and getting in touch with us for this show. Also for money moves. And you know, it's like people are burnt out and they're not burnt out. You know, it's not just because they haven't taken a vacation, but I do think it really does help you, gang. I encourage everybody to do it. That is it. That's your public service announcement for take some time and enjoy your summer and. And send us pictures and don't forget, no matter what, wherever you are, we are happy to talk to you. So go to jillonmoney.com, click the contact us button. Write us a note. Let us know if you want to come on the air by checking the box. If you want to come on via video we had do that on our other program on Money Moves. But you have to be young or you have to be like. Has to be like, not that, you know, the question mark that we get the most on this show is like, can I afford to retire? That is not the question I'm covering at Money Moves. I want distinct questions that are a little bit more focused. I really do. I want people to be like, I have these benefits at work. Which one should I choose? Or my parents are doing telling me to do this, should I do it? I just want to like more a direct, succinct question. Like, I just answered a question. Friends of mine were like, what should we do about? They were planning to do a renovation. They wanted to know they had this huge capital gain in this account. Which assets should we sell? And so I just did it for them. But like, that's the kind of thing I want to talk to everybody about that. If you have a distinct question, if you have a. If you see a video that's out there that is tantalizing to you, that, you know, someone says you should, you know, passive income, this, that, the other thing, send that to us again. Jill, on money.com click the contact us button and upload your own video. Upload videos that you're running across. Give us lots of fodder for both of our shows. We very much appreciate it. Okay, you can subscribe to us on the Odyssey app or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. Please leave us a rating and review. Wherever you listen. As always, we ask that you lift someone up. Change your work, change your wealth, change your life. Thank you for listening and we'll talk to you tomorrow.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

When a child faces a serious medical challenge, a children's hospital quickly becomes a family's entire world. Whether they're helping a child recover from a sudden injury or helping them manage a long term condition, these hospitals provide an irreplaceable community resource. Children's Miracle Network is dedicated to supporting this specialized care by securing the crucial funds these medical centers depend on Daily. Children's Miracle Network is a leading charity

[Jill Schlesinger]

impacting the health of all kids.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

They raise funds for 170 children's hospitals across the United States and Canada. Protecting health care access for millions of families. Their fundraising network brings together corporate partners, local grassroots programs, and everyday donors like you and me. Your donation directly empowers your hometown hospital to use those resources exactly where they are needed most. Wherever you see the Children's Miracle Network balloon, you're helping a local child receive care. Visit cmn.org today to learn more and make a donation to your local children's hospital.

[Sally Helm]

Sometimes it feels like the news is full of things that have never happened before, and that is not exactly true. In fact, it may have happened this very week, hundreds or thousands of years ago. I'm Sally Helm, host of the podcast History this Week from the History Channel. Trade embargoes. Thomas Jefferson tried them. Rent too high. We've been arguing about that for a while. Each episode is proof the past isn't that far away. Listen to History this Week, available now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.