After you’ve finally made it downtown, you’re on the hunt for parking. You drive around the block, finding nothing. You search again, and there it is! An open spot on the side of the road. As you approach it, a lawless, inconsiderate driver squeezes by you in the blink of an eye and slides into the spot. You give him your best “death stare” but must continue. Your car won’t park itself. After a few more frustrating laps, you give in. You are broken, and you decide to pay the extortionate price for the lot you passed earlier. You pull in to the parking lot and wonder how any of these people passed Driver’s Ed. You see a car straddling a white parking line, successfully taking up two decent spots with one small car. There’s a pickup parked up on the curb that is clearly marked as a “No Parking Zone”. After maneuvering your way around the lot for a near-eternity, with the skill and dexterity needed to disarm a ticking bomb, you finally park the car, pay and walk away.
We’ve all been there. Parking can be the most frustrating 30 minutes and 20 dollars you spend. Unless you can hire a driver to drop you off and pick you up, there’s no easy ways around it. Here are a few tips, though, to save you some money.
Less is More
You don’t always need to drive from “A” to “C”. You might be able to drive to “B” and take alternative transportation from there. If you are going downtown, most cities have trolley, bus or shuttle systems that will take you to your endpoint from suburban areas where it is much easier (and cheaper) to park. By driving to one of these stations, you’ll only have to pay a dollar or two for your pass, instead of the double-digit total a downtown parking spot will cost.
Walk it Off
Much like any real estate, the expensive parking spots cost more because of their location. You can usually sacrifice some of your time and energy for some money by parking farther away and walking. It’s a frugal payoff. It’s often easier to find a spotand is almost guaranteed to be cheaper. It’s also the healthy choice! A short walk to your location will get your blood flowing, giving you a little exercise.
Hunt for Discounts
If you do need to park downtown, and no alternatives seem to work, look for discounts. Many lots offer deals for short-term use. For example, a lot near your destination may offer free use for under an hour. Find these places and utilize them for your short trips. Just keep track of time and be sure to make it back to your car before you’ll need to pay.
Only What You Need
Know how much time you’ll need at your destination. Whether using a parking garage or a meter, pay for the amount of time you’ll use. No need to pay for three hours if you’ll be using one. The most important thing is to keep an eye on your time. While it’s efficient to use the majority of your time up, you don’t want to go over. Yes, you could get lucky… but you could also get ticketed.
Be Resourceful
A quick Google search of “cheap parking” or “free parking” in your city or near the address of your destination should give you some ideas of where you can start looking. Your smartphone’s map should show you where parking lots are too.
Do you know anyone that lives near your endpoint? Maybe you can park at their house. This could also work if you have a friend who lives near your office and who drives his or her own car to work. Maybe you can use their spot while they’re gone! Just be sure to figure out a way to return the favor.
Remember!
Free parking is great but illegal parking is not. Paying for parking is still cheaper than paying a ticket.
What do you do to avoid paying too much for parking? Tell us here!
