After a loved one passes away, family, relatives, and friends often wish to have a special time to remember the deceased as a way of saying goodbye. They want their beloved family members to be respected and remembered positively. Nowadays, there are many ways to achieve this.
Instead of holding what many consider a traditional funeral, you can make it more personalized and showcase items that highlight the talents and unique personality of your loved one. LovetoKnow provides many creative ideas on how to commemorate a loved one at a funeral.
Pre-arranging a funeral ahead of time is a good option. This way, family members do not have to hurriedly make arrangements amidst grief.
You can be involved in the funeral arrangements or verbally communicate all the details you wish to include. This can reduce the pressure on family members to come up with various arrangements when mourning because they will know how you wanted your funeral to proceed. More details can be added later.
Before the formal funeral service, you need to provide certain necessary information to the funeral home. According to Business Insider, you will need to provide the deceased’s social security number, date of birth, and parents’ names.
Planning can be done in several ways. You can start by discussing with the responsible person at the funeral home to understand the different burial options. You also need to inquire about the various payment plans offered by the funeral home.
Funeral homes typically offer multiple funeral packages, but you are not obligated to purchase any of them. According to AARP, you can request a detailed price list from them and choose a funeral plan that suits your needs.
Keep in mind that you can purchase certain items elsewhere. For example, the cost of a casket at a funeral home is around $2,500, whereas on Amazon, you can spend around $999 to buy a casket.
By prepaying for funeral and burial costs, you can lock in the prices and avoid paying more in the future due to inflation. At the same time, this can prevent unexpected additional expenses.
Funeral costs can be high, and if families are not prepared in advance, they may end up burdened with debt. According to Time, the average funeral and burial cost in 2024 was $8,300. When adding in the cemetery’s common requirement of grave liner insurance, the total cost is around $10,000.
The above costs only cover basic expenses and do not include expenses for purchasing a cemetery plot, a headstone or monument, flowers, obituaries, other cash outlays, or the minister’s service fee.
Cremation is a more economical option. As more people choose cremation, the cost of cremation is also rising. According to Finance Strategists, the basic cost of cremation, including a funeral, is around $7,848.
If you forego a memorial service and burial in favor of cremation, the cost will significantly decrease. According to Choice Mutual, the cost of direct cremation (immediate cremation) is approximately $1,240.
The cost of cremation varies depending on the services chosen. If you wish to have a viewing before cremation, processing the body ($275), embalming ($775), rental of a casket ($1,310), use of the funeral home’s facilities for the body viewing and funeral service ($965), and others are required.
Choice Mutual points out that if you are willing to donate the body to a scientific research institution, you can have the cremation done for free. However, they only accept donors without specific infectious diseases or extreme body mass index (BMI). After donation, the institution will cremate the remains after the research is completed and return the ashes to the family.
Generally, funeral costs can be paid for by purchasing burial insurance (also known as final expense insurance or pre-need insurance). This is a type of whole life insurance that typically offers quick payouts, enabling family members to promptly cover funeral expenses.
Keep in mind that many individuals experience prolonged hospital or nursing home treatment before they pass away, resulting in high medical expenses. Increasing the coverage of burial insurance can help cover these costs.
The quality of services at different funeral homes varies, and according to Sixty and Me, not all funeral homes are trustworthy. It is advisable not to choose the first funeral home you encounter unless they can meet all your needs.
If you are concerned that your family will not arrange the funeral according to your wishes, you can request the funeral home to provide an authorization form allowing you to designate someone else to carry out your funeral arrangements. This is particularly important for unmarried partners or families with multiple children.
USA Today recommends selecting a funeral home that can provide comprehensive services, including burial, cremation, and memorial services. The funeral home should be willing to assist throughout the process, address your concerns, and offer suggestions on how to improve services. Some funeral homes also provide 24-hour service to offer support whenever needed by the family.
After a loved one passes away, there are many things that need to be taken care of. Organizations like AARP offer detailed checklists to help you organize your thoughts and avoid missing important matters while grieving.
For the best results, funeral planning should be completed as early as possible and can be integrated into your estate planning. Communicate with the funeral home director as they can offer valuable advice and share effective solutions.
Remember that “What You Need to Know About Funeral Planning” was originally published on the English Epoch Times website.