Earlier this year, a close friend of mine passed away. This sweet woman was incredibly unique. Besides adoring vintage clothing, she always had extremely short hair. After her death, her son wanted to plan a funeral service with her unique style in mind. So, he immediately started working with the helpful staff at a respected funeral home in our hometown. After relaying his desires to the professional employees at the funeral home, my friend’s son decided to omit a viewing on the night before the funeral. Instead, he had the funeral home staff bring his mother’s body to the church two hours before the funeral service. He also gave anyone who wanted to speak at the funeral service an opportunity. On this blog, I hope you will discover the wonderful ways the staff at a funeral home can help you plan a unique funeral for a loved one.
The passing on of a loved one is stressful enough without the added financial burden. There's the casket, the hearse, embalming fees, cemetery charges; the list is endless. Arranging a funeral service can be an expensive affair and beyond the reach of many families. So how can you make it affordable yet dignified to plan a funeral?
Research and Compare Costs
Funeral homes are required by law to give an itemized price list on request. If a funeral home is hesitating to disclose its prices, it may be hiding something; so keep looking.
Stick to Your Budget
Draw a budget and stick to it. Avoid being pressured by the funeral home to buy extras you don't need.
Cost of Casket
This is where you can save a lot of money. Caskets are generally very expensive but the price differences are also quite wide. You do not have to go for a high end casket if you can't afford one; it helps to know that there are cheaper options out there.
Opt for Cremation
Cremation will be much cheaper than burial as there's no casket and no burial ground to pay for. Contact your local cremation services for a quote.
Consider Direct Burial/Cremation
Direct burial or cremation is the cheapest option. The funeral home will collect the body and proceed to cremate or bury it after the waiting period set by law. No private viewing is allowed unless requested by the family, at a fee.
Green or Natural Burial
This involves the use of biodegradable material for burial. Steel caskets are not eco-friendly as they are not biodegradable.
You have the option of using green material such as a shroud (basically a sheet wrapped around the body) or a wool casket, shaped like a casket but made of biodegradable material. Both options are much cheaper than steel caskets.
Family Memorial Service
As a family, you can collect the ashes in an urn and conduct your own memorial service at a venue that is free of charge; such a home or church.
Buy Your Own Urn
Cremation services do not typically include an urn. You will normally receive your loved one's remains in a plastic bag. If you want to keep the ashes at home, it will be cheaper to buy your own urn rather than buy one from the funeral home. A funeral is about coming to terms with the death of your loved one and taking the time to honor them. You can do this with dignity and simplicity without crippling yourself or your family financially.
Share9 January 2018
