Funeral Knowledge

My apologies for my tardiness. I really had every intention of being back on track, unfortunately we had a death in the family last week. My Grandmother was relieved from her suffering with a battle of cancer last week and we were home to say goodbye to her for a bit.

It made me think a lot, and no, not about the big questions about afterlife and what not. I have my beliefs that I hold firm too. But it did astound me how much a funeral cost. I was speaking with a person regarding coffins and it truly amazed me that caskets can go anywhere from $100 for a cardboard box if you are being cremated, to $18 000  at a local funeral home! I was in shock! That's not including all the extra things that have to happen like purchasing the gravesite and if your minister, or whomever you have conducting your service, charges a service fee. Then there's the reception afterwards. It gets costly.

So how can we change that?

The best way is preparing ahead of time. We will all die at some point. Really, I don't think that the elixir of everlasting life is on the market yet, so it's something that we have to plan for.

Do you want to be cremated? That saves thousands there, but check with your religion if you are a religious person. Some religions frown on it.

If you are going for a burial, there are many ways to save costs: buy a cheap coffin or make your own. If you are worried about people thinking poorly of you because you have a plain pine box, there are coffin rentals available and then you can be buried in your cheaper coffin.

Shop around for a plot before you die. Even the nicest of cemeteries, have a cheapest site and it will still be beautiful. If you live out in the country, there is a possibility that you can be buried on your own property,  but please check with local authorities first.

You may be able to skip the embalming process as well. If you do this, the visitation and the funeral should be moved up in time after the death so that the body is still presentable.

Then also think of having just a graveside service instead of a full funeral. Again, it's a personal thing.

The reception can be done be local church members of the deceased or everyone bringing a little something.

For more ideas on frugal funerals, please check out this site and this site as they have great articles to assist you in your research on this manner.

Remember, planning ahead is the most frugal way to have your own funeral cost less monetarily as well as emotionally for your family and loved ones when they are faced with making quick decisions.

Enjoy your day!

2 comments:

Mike Boyd said...

Sincere condolences on the loss of your grandmother. You are correct that there is a lot to learn about the details that go into planning a funeral, and it is best to be prepared ahead of time in order to know how to save money. Thanks for helping to get the word out!
Mike Boyd - Askthefuneralexpert

The Green Reaper said...

At Bury Me Naturally in Asheville, NC there's a great store where you can buy a Kosher Pine Box (no metal), Biograde Series and Basket Casket w/ some cool shrouds as well - It's a beautiful shop -wood floors, big tall windows - and lots-o-resources. Check out their site -ncnaturalburial.com -lots of urns as well!