Learning How to Pay for a Funeral
January 2018 Newsletter
It is never easy when someone close to you dies. In the best of cases, there is money set aside to cover the cost of burial and funeral. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way and it can mean looking for how to pay for a funeral.
Today’s average funeral costs more than $8,500 but that doesn’t include the cemetery. When it’s all said and done, the price tag for a typical traditional funeral and burial is at least $10,000. If you choose cremation, the number can be much lower. A direct cremation — no service, remains delivered directly to the family — can be as low as $1,000. Either way, it takes a significant amount of money to cover final expenses.
So, what can you do when there simply isn’t any money to take care of your loved ones final arrangements?
>>Read the full article to learn more about how to pay for a funeral
FINDING WAYS TO KEEP FUNERAL COSTS DOWN
Planning ahead is the best way to save on funeral costs. Even if there’s no time to plan, there are ways to keep costs under control.
- Choose cremation
- Shop for products outside of the funeral home
- Avoid emotional purchases
- Limit “extras” like additional visitation
- Explore alternatives like donation to science
For more tips, request our Guide to an Affordable Funeral.
FINDING ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO PAY FOR A FUNERAL
These days there are many ways to raise money for a funeral or burial. If you are planning in advance and you have disposable income, funeral insurance is one of the most effective means.
When the death is unexpected or there simply is no money to pay for a funeral, crowdfunding can help you raise funds quickly.
Be sure to do your homework before you start since the fees vary for each platform. Plus, there are tricks to running a successful campaign.
HONORING A LOVED ONE WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK
A common misconception is that a “good” funeral or memorial service has to be expensive. There are many ways to honor a loved one that don’t cost a fortune.
Our Creating Celebrations of Life page offers valuable tips and advice for planning a meaningful funeral.
The key is to make sure that the service is personal. The ceremony doesn’t have to be fancy or extravagant; even a simple ceremony can reflect the life of someone who lived a life worth remembering.
CAN A HOME FUNERAL HELP YOU BEAT THE HIGH COST
In the olden days, having the funeral in the home was the only option. We cared for our own dead and tended to the body where the deceased lived.
With the rise of the funeral industry, the at-home funeral vanished. Surprise! It’s coming back! So is the whole concept of do-it-yourself death care.
Home funerals are legal in all 50 states but you should check to see if your municipality has unique regulations that may affect how a home funeral must be handled.
Funeralwise.com is the place to go online for everything you need about funerals. Whether planning a funeral or attending one, we can provide you with straightforward answers to your questions and step-by-step instructions to guide you on your way.
Have you updated your funeral plan lately? Why not take a few minutes to do that today? Remember… the best time to plan a funeral is before you need to.
