Money Saving Tips For Planning a
Funeral
By Jason Gibson Parsons
It's a financially smart idea to start planning a
funeral long before anyone in your family is even ill.
Money saving tips for planning a funeral are easier to
realize when you plan ahead because everyone can think
clearly and rationally rather than making hurried and
emotional buying decisions when suddenly faced with
funeral planning tasks after the death of a loved one.
Cremation rather than traditional burial can save money
and can still include a memorial service. Ask if you can
rent a casket for the purposes of viewing the body, or
eliminate the viewing altogether as a cost saving step
and have the cremated ashed in an urn displayed during
the memorial service.
Comparison shop for a casket because quality and pricing
is very wide ranging. You can purchase a casket from an
independent vendor who will then ship it to the funeral
home. If you purchase the casket at the funeral home,
don't be afraid to ask to see caskets within your price
range. If you don't like the color of an economy model,
ask if other colors or styles are available.
Supplying the funeral home with your own casket can save
you money. Be aware that the funeral home may not charge
you a handling fee for providing your own casket. Refuse
any casket extras billed as protective measures because
they are usually unnecessary and add to your expense.
Unless a concrete vault is required by law once the
casket is interred in a cemetery, do not purchase this
feature as it can add unnecessary expenses to your
overall funeral costs.
You are not obligated to buy a funeral package that
includes many features you may not want. The funeral
director is obligated by FTC regulation to give you
itemized prices on all funeral elements, whether in
person or on the phone, so you can see exactly all of
the charges being incurred and the exact cost for each
item or service.
Elaborate floral displays can represent a considerable
funeral expense, so to save money, use the plants and
floral displays already located in the church or funeral
home, or set a modest floral budget and stick with it.
Bury the deceased in a favorite outfit rather than
spending extra money to purchase a new suit or dress for
burial.
If you are looking for a North Texas Funeral Home or a
Funeral Homes in Texas we can help you. The Brooks
family can service almost all of Texas with Cremation
and Funeral Services. |