Our parking meters spit out a piece of paper that shows you've paid, people in cars would steal them off of bikes and use 'em. So they now let bikes park for free.
Just don't do what I've done and move so far out that you spend half you life commuting. I've got a beautiful house with a pretty yard in a nice town that is even near some good riding. I just know the stress of dealing w/ traffic for 2.5+hrs every day is knocking years off my life.