Free parking: That’s how I stroll

HAPPY New Year to you.

And I’m not just saying that as some throwaway line like the many times you’ve probably heard it trotted out in recent days. I really mean it. I hope you have a safe, enjoyable and pleasant next 12 months. I’m hoping I do, too. My last year was pretty good. One of the better ones for me in recent memory.

First and foremost, nothing too bad happened.

The house didn’t burn down, the family was relatively happy and the addition of Netflix lifted all our spirits.

But what made it stand out from other years was that I barely spent any money on parking.

Only less than a handful of times was I forced to feed the hungry parking meters around the Geelong city centre.

It made me feel good that I’d saved a fair bit of money, because I’ve blown plenty on parking in years gone by.

But not only has it helped me in a financial sense, it has also gave my fitness a much-needed boost. Because if you work in Geelong’s CBD as I do, it requires a lot of effort to park all day for free. You can either leave your car a fairly long way away — I often find a spot somewhere down near the South Geelong train station — or you can park in a two, three or four-hour zone, which means regularly moving it. Either way there’s a lot of walking involved. A few of my work buddies and I wear free parking as a badge of honour. It’s always the first topic of conversation when we arrive at the office.

And if it’s found out you paid to park close to work you can expect to pay for it again through ridicule.

I’ve come to enjoy the long walks from my car to work. It’s one of my favourite parts of the day.

If you can spare the time and it’s not belting down with rain, it’s a good way to mentally prepare for the day ahead.

It’s also a good way to unwind after a hard day, as well as to work out what you need to pick up at the supermarket for dinner on the way home.

So if your New Year’s resolution is to save money and exercise more, take a leaf out of my book.

If you do, I’m confident you’ll have a happy new year.