26 Smart Ways to Save Money on Parking without the Hassle!

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Oct 17

Written By Eric Gelb

Image sourced by Michael Fousert @michaelfousert

Last weekend, I ran an errand for my 93-year-old Aunt Barbara, who’s in a nursing home.

I drove across the County to a particular store she requested.

I was in a hurry so I parked outside the store, ran in, dropped off the stuff and hit the road.

When I parked on Main Street, I didn’t see any parking meters afoot but that’s more and more common as more and more towns switch to Pay Stations.

Nor did I notice any signs about parking rules. . .

Lo and behold, when I returned to my car, just seven or eight minutes later, a beautiful ticket for $30 graced my windshield.

$30. What a colossal waste of money.

Just Great!

What’s more, the ticket said if I paid within 24 hours of receiving the ticket, I could pay only $20.

The town accepted credit cards online, which seemed easiest to me.

Plus a $3.75 convenience fee.

For whose convenience? Not mine for sure.

The reality is that more and more towns are charging for parking! To raise extra money.

And it’s On Us to be more diligent about learning each town’s parking rules and remembering to be on the lookout for signs.

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Grab these 26 ways to save money on parking hassle-free:

Assume that all towns charge for parking and that you’ll have to feed the meter.
Learn each town’s parking rules and regulations.
Remember the rules. Follow them.
Be on the lookout for signs about parking hours and times.
Keep a stack of quarters in your car. I keep 10 or 15 quarters in a plastic pill bottle in the console of my car. This makes it easy for me to drop a few quarters into a waiting parking meter. Many of the new parking meters accept credit cards, but there’s often a convenience fee.
Shop at stores and shopping centers that offer free parking. For example, Dick’s Sporting Goods in White Plains, New York offers one hour free parking. Shop quickly. And be sure to ask the cashier to stamp your parking ticket or parking slip.
Shop on Sundays when many areas offer free parking.
Park during off-peak times when parking rates may be lower than peak time parking rates.
Buy online. With Amazon Prime, you can order online and receive most items in one or two days and sometimes even the same day.
Walk to the store or restaurant instead of driving. I happen to live at the edge of town and just a five-minute walk to the commuter rail station. And the Stop ‘n Shop supermarket is half a mile away.
Park and walk. Suppose you want to shop at a store that charges for parking, but there’s a parking lot down the road that offers free parking. You could drive, park for free and walk to the store and back.
Take public transit.
Buy a bicycle and get a high quality lock.
Ask a friend or neighbor to drive you to your destination.
Carpool to cut your commutation and parking costs.
Use ‘ Park-and-Ride’ lots, which are typically connected with public transit. The parking rates are typically lower than privately owned parking lots and garages. My friend Mike lives in New Jersey and works in New York City; he drives to the local Park-and-Ride lot and takes the bus to New York City.
Park in a rental car shop. In New York City, there’s an Avis Car Rental site on East 43rd Street near Grand Central Station. During the day when most of the cars are out on rental, you can park your car at rates that are lower than private garages.
Use Parking Apps to find the best deal on parking. Parking Apps include SpotHero, BestParking and ParkWhiz. Often, if you book your parking in advance, you can get a discount. Typically I take the Metro North commuter rail to New York City but every so often I drive into New York City and use the Apps to save money on parking.
When you park in a metered parking spot, set the alarm on your Smartphone to alert you 10 to 15 minutes before your meter is scheduled to run out, expire. Then you can add time to the parking meter. With parking Apps you can add money to the parking meter wirelessly.
Purchase a monthly parking pass instead of daily parking passes. Typically you’ll receive a discount as compared to the daily parking rate.
Sign up for TransitChek if your employer participates in the program. You contribute money to the TransitChek program with pretax dollars from your paycheck. Your employer loads a TransitChek debit card. You must use the debit card to purchase commuter rail passes, commuter bus tickets or commuter parking. You save income taxes and sometimes Social Security on the amount of money you contribute into the TransitChek program. Contact your human resources or employee benefits department for more information.
Rent a parking spot in someone’s driveway. In Bayside, Queens, New York, many homeowners rent out their driveway or part of it to earn some extra money. The rental rates may be lower than nearby commercial parking lots and parking garages.
Scout out airport parking lots and join their parking loyalty program. I am a member of The Parking Spot. I have found that they offer decent pricing, offer high quality service and discounts on parking. They also offer loyalty rewards points which you can redeem for discounts on parking and free parking. To find such a program, search Google for airport parking and visit The Parking Spot.
When you’re going to the airport, park your car in a hotel parking lot that is located 10 to 15 minutes from the airport. Many hotels charge less for parking than the airport parking lots and they offer a complimentary – free shuttle to and from the airport (airport shuttle).
When you go on vacation, check out hotels that offer free parking. Some hotels located in resort areas and downtown charge $35 to $40. One hotel in New York City charges $60 a night. Good money for the hotels.
Move to a house or apartment that is close to public transit and near the center of town. I did and save nice money on gasoline, automobile maintenance and gasoline every year. I walk to the commuter rail station to New York City, the Stop ‘n Shop supermarket and many of the restaurants. Easy. I also reduced my driving from approximately 12,000 miles a year to 6,500 which saves money on my car too.

With a little planning and the right strategies, saving money on parking is easier than you think—put these tips to work and keep more cash in your pocket every time you park – whether you’re running errands, heading to the airport or commuting to work.

Happy trails and see you next week,

Arthur VanDam

P.S. To Save More Money Every Day – click here.

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Disclaimer: OH and Please Remember, we are Not financial advisors, financial planners, attorneys or accountants and are Not providing any specific financial, tax, accounting or legal advice here. Be sure to conduct your own due diligence and consult your own professional advisors to get sound professional advice that’s specific to your financial and personal circumstances, risk tolerance, time horizon and investment goals and objectives among other key factors!