Organising and paying for a family funeral is just one of life’s big purchases that is simply non-avoidable. Similar to buying a home, purchasing a new car or planning a wedding, paying for a family funeral can have a substantial impact on your budget.
It’s only normal to be worried about money when having to organise and fund a funeral, but it’s important to keep in mind that it’s a once in a lifetime event that cannot be done over. Whatever aspects you plan to include in the funeral, all arrangements must show respect to the person who died, reflect upon that persons life and personality and be meaningful to his/her loved ones who are left behind.
It’s not necessary to break the bank to be successful in doing all of the above. The following are 3 effective ways of saving money when making funeral arrangements for a family member.
Save Money on Funeral Merchandise
Let’s face it funeral merchandise can be extremely expensive. From choosing a suitable coffin to organising the flowers and different aspects for the funeral order of service, costs can easily amount to thousands of pounds. Choosing to go for a coffin that looks expensive but doesn’t have the hefty price tag will bring down your costs considerably. Selecting cheaper types of flowers instead of pricey roses will help your budget no end and you will not have to compromise as your loved one will still be honoured with beautiful fresh flowers and wreaths.
Cremation can be more cost effective than Burial
Choosing between cremation and burial is a deeply personal decision, and one that should not be based on cost alone. Having said this, if your loved one had no preference as to which they would prefer, it may be helpful to know that cremation can be that little bit cheaper in comparison to burial. The cost of burying the body in a cemetery is abolished as the family members have the choice to scatter the ashes or bury them in the cemetery (for a reasonable fee) or in a place that was special to the deceased.
Plan Ahead
It may seem like a morbid thing to do, but funerals are an inevitable part of life. Planning ahead and budgeting for a funeral will eliminate any financial worry when the unfortunate time does come around. As well as being free of financial worries and being able to focus on the more important things like honouring the life of your loved one, planning ahead will also save you a considerable amount of money. A lot of funeral homes offer price assurances and reductions to people who plan and pay ahead of time. As well as saving on the actual service, purchasing a plot in the cemetery ahead of time is also a wise decision as, like almost all other pieces of land, the prices can fluctuate considerably.
Planning a family funeral for a loved one is probably one of the most difficult things that you’ll ever do in life. It’s a time of grief, reflection, and appreciation for the special moments that you may have shared together. As previously mentioned, you can give your loved one the send off that they so deserve without having to cause a lot of damage to your bank balance. Doing things this way will ensure that you’re not burdened with worrying bills and accumulating expenses that may cause you a lot of unnecessary stress.
In all my considerations of funeral arrangements, I was always thinking that cremation would be less costly than burial. It makes sense when you consider purchasing the casket, headstone and burial plot as individual purchases. Would any of those purchases ever be able to be bundled together in one low cost price?
I like how you mention to plan ahead for your funeral. I know that a lot of people don’t want to do this because it’s kind of weird. However, your families will appreciate it. I’ve just had to plan funerals for my grandparents and it was horrible because they didn’t plan anything.