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.
Although cremation is much cheaper than a standard funeral, it can still cost anywhere from $4,000 to $7,000 to lay someone to rest this way. With money being tight these days for a lot of people, here are two tips for saving money on cremation costs.
Choose Direct Cremation
While it is customary to have a memorial or viewing so family and friends can say their last goodbyes to the decedent, it's better to choose direct cremation if you want to save money. With this option, the body is sent from the mortuary to the crematory, minimally prepared, and cremated.
Because the majority of the costs associated with a funeral—such as buying a casket, purchasing flowers, or embalming—are eliminated, the price will drop to an average of $2,000 to $5,000 depending on where you live. You can save even more money by bringing your own urn or container to store the cremated remains.
Not only is direct cremation cheaper, but it's safer because you won't be putting friends and loved ones at risk of catching Covid-19. You can always have a small gathering at your home at a later date or meet online using video conference software to commemorate the decedent.
Opt for a Plain Box
Many people are under the impression that decedents must be cremated in coffins. However, this is not true at all. While the person's body must be placed in a container for the procedure, it doesn't have to be a coffin. This is good news because even the most basic casket can set you back $2,000.
Instead of a coffin, have the deceased person placed in a plain box made from wood, pressboard, or cardboard. It may not seem as glamourous as a decorative casket. However, considering the container holding the body is also burned, a plain box makes the most financial sense. You can use the money you save to purchase a nice urn to hold the individual's remains or pay for space in a columbarium.
There are other ways you can further reduce the cost of cremating your loved one. Additionally, there may be financial resources available that may help you pay for the funeral arrangements. For instance, Social Security will give eligible families a one-time payment of $255 to apply towards funeral costs. A funeral director can provide additional information about the options available.
To arrange to have your loved one cremated, contact a local crematorium like Fletcher Funeral Home PA.
Share18 September 2020
