A Conservative:
People like Ron Paul, Justin Amash, Rand Paul (5 years ago), Thomas Massie... People who want to cut spending and taxes and stupid regulations (not all). People who believe in minding our own business around the world. We don't believe in lobbyist. Especially ones from the Military industrial complex or big pharma.
We don't mind a little welfare to help those who 1. Really need it. 2. Will use it to get back on their feet, and not sponge off it for the rest of their lives.
We actually want a smaller government.
We care about the Federal Reserve and want to do something about it before $15hr becomes a poverty wage. And before all our corporations move out of the country.
A Republican:
People like Donald J. Trump, Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan. People who only talk about doing the things I listed above. But never actually do them. Or even try to do them. Republicans only care about all the spending when a democrat is in the white house. The Trump tax cuts were BS. But his worshippers praised them like they were going to be tax free. I've paid more every year since the tax cuts than what I was paying before, because of all the deductions they eliminated.
In short, actual conservatives are serious about the budget, spending and the government living within it's means. Republicans just give lip service to those things.