Author: Tim Lemke / Source: Wise Bread
Have you ever given thought to how much money you spend just placing your car on a spot of land? When you think about it, paying to park is an enormous waste of money. Yet we do it anyway, and we often make matters much worse by being careless about how we park.
Parking fees and tickets can be a killer to your budget. But you can avoid parking costs with a little bit of planning and change of habits. Here’s how.
1. Know when to go
In many cities, parking fees are lifted on certain days and times. For example, it’s free to park almost anywhere in the District of Columbia on Sundays. If you intend to visit a location and take time to learn when parking fees are waived, you can then choose to travel during those times to avoid parking costs.
2. Give yourself time
We’ve all been in this situation: You’re running late and park in the first spot you can find. You pull into an expensive garage because you don’t have time to circle the neighborhood looking for street parking. It may cost you several dollars extra every time you park in a rush. My rule of thumb is to estimate how long it takes to get to a destination, especially in the city, and add 20 minutes to find acceptable parking. Budgeting less time often means settling for a spot that’s unnecessarily costly.
3. Take advantage of a pretax parking plan
If you pay to park at your job, your employer may offer a pretax benefit, allowing you to take money out of each paycheck to pay for parking.
By doing this, you reduce your taxable income slightly and may save some money. Your employer may also have other special discounts or parking plans for frequent parkers. Check with your company’s human resources department to find out what parking programs they offer. (See also: 10 Things Besides…The post 9 Ways to Save Big on Parking Costs appeared first on FeedBox.