Motorcycle is a compact and easy-to-move transportation system but sometimes we need to pay extra money for parking. A motorcycle already costs a good amount of money to operate and maintain. Then again paid parking adds additional hassle and inconvenience. A motorcycle can be cost-effective if you know how to reduce it. Now let’s see how we can keep the cost at a minimal position and save our money on parking.
1. Find a free parking spot
Parking areas and rules usually vary according to the places or cities. What I do is, Whenever I plan to go to a new place with my motorcycle I try to collect information as far as possible about the place including free parking spots. When I don’t have enough time to research or I can’t find space for free parking I use to try to convince the local private property owner to park my motorcycle. The majority of the time this technique helps me out of saving from spending extra money on parking. When I don’t have any other of these options left only then do I go for the paid parking. Try this technique to save your parking money.
2. Search for a discount
If you search well you can get a discount on parking even if you don’t get free parking. For that, you need to observe the local parking ordinance very well and be aware of motorcycle apps that provide information about parking. depending on location discounts money on parking can be more or less. It should also be noted that some places offer more discounts than usual on parking at certain of the day. Keep your eyes on it and grab the opportunity when you find one.
3. Get familiar with parking apps
Many apps provide real-time data in detail on available private and public parking spaces and pricing. You can see available parking spaces, garage lists, and pricing through these apps. This will help you easily find the best deal and reserve your parking space. Some of these apps also have digital payment methods. Overall these apps will save you time and money. Find out the app according to your territory.
4. Invest in long-time parking
Different parking lots and garages offer different parking packages. In addition to day and hourly contracts, some offer monthly, six-month, yearly, or more than one-year parking packages. A long-term parking plan costs much less than a short-term one and is likely to get a good discount. If you are going to the same place frequently purchasing the longer parking plan would be the ideal decision. For example, I have purchased the longest parking plan for two years beside my workplace. As I have to go there every day that’s why I purchased the available biggest plan which saved me a good amount of money than the short-term plan. If you have to go to the same place every day like I do, I would suggest purchasing the largest parking plan.
5. Consider the off-peak time
If you search well, In some locations you will find free parking or a cheaper deal than the regular price in a paid or metered parking space. You can grab the opportunity only at a certain time of the day. You will get the opportunity mostly on weekends, or holidays. If you are parking for a short time and avoid paying high parking rates then park during these weekends or holidays time. Only when you should go for metered parking or the pay-by-the-hour method when you are unable to match the time. Metered parking or the pay-by-the-hour system only costs the exact amount according to the time you parked your motorcycle.
6. Sharing space
Some parking spaces are specifically made for motorcycles and some of them are made for both cars and motorcycles. It has been seen many times that after parking a car or motorcycle there is space left for parking another motorcycle. Talk to the other drivers and share the parking space and cost among themselves. By doing these both of you can save the cost.
7. Read the signs before parking
Sometimes there are some unused or abandoned garages and parking lots where nobody usually parks motorcycles. While it is very tempting to avoid parking fees, you must know about the local parking regulations and read the parking signs very carefully before parking otherwise you may have to pay a fine or be in trouble with legal issues. Some parking companies may charge extra money for different reasons but they always don’t mention that with the parking fees. Before booking your parking space get clear information about their designated charges.
If you think out of the box and can implement your thoughts properly you can easily save your money and time. Always keep your eyes on finding an alternative parking idea so that you can save a huge amount of money over time. Do not forget to check the local laws and rules before parking. Along that read the parking signs and try to understand that properly for avoiding penalties. I hope you will find useful these above-mentioned parking ideas.