Handling the costs of a funeral

Losing someone is bad enough, but there can be other stress to deal with after a death in the family. The biggest of these stresses is money. A funeral these days is very expensive, and you’ll find yourself dealing with many different costs. You and your family will have to handle paying for many things:

The casket – Traditional ~ Natural ~ Eco Friendly
Funeral home expenses ~ Funeral Director ~ Embalming ~ Cars ~ Venue ~ Ministers Costs – Civil ~ Humanist ~ Religious ~ Flowers.
A burial plot – New Plot ~ Re Open – in Church Ground – Council Cemetery or Private Cemetery ~ Natural burial Ground.
A temporary grave marker until the headstone is completed.
The permanent headstone.
An Urn if the deceased wished to be cremated – Or Scatter Tube.
Funeral programs – Order of service or Remembrance cards.
The cost to publish an obituary – Local Paper.
Administrative costs involved in procuring a death certificate.

These are just a few of the costs involved - costs may double or even triple very easily.
If you’re taking the deceased to another location for burial, for example, you will have to deal with the costs involved in transporting the casket.

Ways to Save

Fortunately, many countries do offer some sort of financial assistance for paying for funerals, especially if the deceased was a Military Veteran.

It is also possible to shop around. You may be able to find a less expensive casket, for example.

There are some other things you can do to save money. Instead of purchasing flowers, cut fresh flowers from your own flowerbeds. You might also want to forgo the limo to the cemetery.

While it’s a nice touch, it is something that may not be in the budget.

Plan Ahead

While some may think it is morbid, planning for your death can help remove much of the burden your family members may feel. Purchasing your burial plots, for example, removes a large expense from the list.

Setting aside money that you specifically state in your will is to be used for funeral expenses can also help. While your family members may not want to hear it, having a discussion with them about how your funeral is to be paid for is another good idea.