Monthly parking: I think I love you

Today was the first day of really bad weather we've had this season. I went out in it, and it sucked. I would be perfectly happy to stay in my condo until spring - if only that were an option. It was freezing rain/snowing/super windy and cold. All I could think was - why don't I live somewhere warmer? And how much would it suck to actually have to take the bus in this? I know, I'm lame. Lots of people don't have cars, and can't afford the luxury, and yes, I am tremendously grateful for my car and I do realize what a luxury it is. When I moved back to a big city, I never imagined that I would drive as much as I do.

It's official - I've been broken down - I'm a monthly parker (how embarrassing). I live two miles from my office and drive straight across downtown to get to work, and yes, pay a small fortune to park the car - all for the convenience of not having to go out in bad weather and so that it's easier to get home after a long day at work. In my defense, I actually walk to and from work about 3 days a week when the weather is nice - that's 12 miles. I know - we've been through this analysis at least two times before - are we really going to talk about this parking dilemma again, just so I can make myself feel less lame for spending money on this? Yes, we are. But this is the last time.

They jacked up the daily parking rate, as I mentioned before, resulting in a cost of $320 per month to park at work - and that's assuming you are in the garage by 8 a.m. That's pretty early to HAVE to be to work (when you have the option of getting there whenever you want) - but if you aren't there by 8 - it's $24 for the day - obscene. After some careful research (that my secretary did), I discovered that they didn't jack the monthly rate as high as the daily rate. It used to be about the same to pay daily and monthly, assuming you got there early. Now, suddenly, it is $30 less to pay monthly. $30 - AND - you can get there whenever you want. Yes, the scale tipped the other way.

BUT - I've been foiled - everyone else discovered this at the same time, just before winter, and suddenly there is a 6 month wait list to monthly park in my office building (when there didn't used to be any wait list at all). WHAT? I guess you can't be an on again off again on again monthly parker. It's all or nothing. You either are one or you aren't. By the time my spot comes up it's going to be summer and I won't want to monthly park anymore - I'll want to walk again. But what will I do - will I take my spot? Hmm. Did I previously neglect to mention during my prior analysis of the situation, that there is a parking garage across the street from my office? Yeah, I probably forgot to mention that - because it - uh - involves going outside to cross the street and walking half a block to my office. Okay people - it may not seem like it - but significant time is lost by parking across the street, or so it seems, equivalent to .2 of an hour on either end maybe.

Unfortunately though, I just can't justify paying $320 a month to park when I could pay $23o. That's right - it's only $230 to monthly park across the street. This is totally reasonable. So, basically, I've wasted a lot of money on parking. In my defense though, it used to only cost me $280 to park at the daily rate, so I really haven't wasted that much, only $50 a month. I waste more than that on other things easily in a month. Besides, I was saving a lot of money by walking. I am afraid that if I pay to park monthly all year round - I will never be able to convince myself to walk at all. I will feel obligated to park. So this is a short term thing - just until it's warm again. Don't think though that I wouldn't pay an extra $60, if I could, to park in my office building, just so I didn't have to walk outside and cross the street. Yes folks, I am that lame.

Now I am going to ponder the grocery delivery service. This I am quite certain is not worth the money. But still.