With today’s average price of a $10,000 full-service funeral, many individuals are looking for alternative alternatives to render their final farewell more inexpensive. There are some money-saving choices to consider depending on how you want to go.
Traditional funeral: If you’re keen in a traditional funeral and burial, shopping around and comparing funeral providers is your first move in saving cash, because rates can differ.
Contact your customer alliance burial program if you want some assistance. These are voluntary organizations that provide local burial suppliers with data and rates.
There are also free websites to which you can turn, such as parting.com which allows you to compare rates, and funeraldecisions.com which will provide projections depending on what you want from local funeral homes.
Be sure to take advantage of the “funeral rule” when comparing. This is a federal law that requires funeral home managers to provide you with an itemized price list of their products and services so that you can choose exactly what you want. Please be ready to ask.
Buying your own casket is another way to reduce your expenses. By buying one from a shop or online and getting it supplied to the funeral home, you can save at least 50%, and it must be accepted by the funeral home offering the service. Two great casket shopping services that might surprise you are Walmart.com and Costco.com, offering a range of caskets and urns at discounted casket cost.
Direct burial: An immediate burial is another way to cut your house funeral charge. With this alternative, your body would be placed soon after death, avoiding the burial centers ‘ embalming, screening and use. If your family wants a memorial service, they can have it without the body at the grave or at your place of worship. Usually these facilities cost $1,000 to $2,000, not counting cemetery fees. All funeral homes have immediate burial available.
Cremation: An extremely common and inexpensive way to go, cremation can operate from about $600 (for immediate cremation) up to $4,000 or greater depending on the supplier you choose. See “cremation” or “burial” in your local yellow pages or check cremation.com to find funeral homes offering cremation or cremation suppliers in your region.
Green funeral: An eco-friendly green funeral is another inexpensive alternative based on the supplier that costs between $1,000 and several thousand anywhere. The person is placed in a biodegradable coffin with a green burial cemetery or simply covered in a shroud without embalming chemicals or a burial vault. The Green Burial Council has a state list of cemetery providers accommodating green weddings and funeral specialists providing the facilities.
Veteran funeral: You are allowed to a free funeral at a domestic cemetery and a free grave sign if you are a veteran. This advantage also applies to spouses and kids who are dependent. Some veterans may also be qualified for allowances for funeral expenses.
Body donation: donating your body for studies to a medical center is another common and completely free route to go. Your remains will be cremated after using your body and your ashes will be buried or scattered or returned to your family in a local cemetery