How to Make the Best Use of a Parking Meter
It's no secret that parking meters can get rather expensive, quickly. There are several ways that you can best utilize your time while using a parking meter that will help you save money. If you can pay for an allotted amount of time, often times you will get a better rate.
- Park in an area that is an equal distance from all the places that you need to be. If you aren't moving your car around several times to get from location to location and instead spend the small amount of extra time to walk the extra block, you will save yourself a considerable amount of money on parking meters as most of them have a minimum deposit that they charge.
- Insert the number of coins needed to park for the allotted time. If you know approximately how long it will take you to run all your errands, pay to park in the 90-minute parking or all-day parking if there is one. This will save you considerable amount of money. Often times, you get a discount for paying longer periods than you do if you pay a meter by the hour.
- If you know that you are going to be parking at a parking meter more often than not, consider purchasing a monthly parking pass that allows you to park anywhere you like downtown at a discounted rate. This often saves you a few days’ worth of parking that you can use toward something else more exciting than parking.