Funeral arrangements are one of the biggest purchases you’ll ever make in life. Like purchasing a car, planning a wedding or buying a home, planning a funeral can have quite an impact on one’s finances. And while it’s normal to worry about the finances, a funeral of a loved one is something that can’t be done over. How the funeral is planned should show the kind of respect for the deceased one has, as well as reflect their unique personality. The good news is that there are money saving ways to meet all these objectives and more without having to break the bank. But to make that happen, below are a few tips that will help you save money when planning a funeral.
Skip embalming: If you wish for people to view the body of the deceased, you can easily achieve that without having to go through with embalming. If the body was kept in a refrigerated area, some areas will allow public viewing of a body that’s not being embalmed before the funeral thus helping cut on the cost of the funeral. In cases where you still don’t want to embalm but your locality doesn’t allow public viewing of a body that’s yet to be embalmed; you can instead opt for a private visitation where only family members are allowed.
Limit attendance: Another effective way of saving on funerals is to limit the number of people who attend the funeral service of cremation. In some cases, the families prefer to have the cremation or burial first and then a bigger service where charges may or may not apply. Either way, it’s something worth considering.
Opt for a less expensive gravestone or avoid it altogether: The price of gravestones imprinted with the information of your loved one can easily spike the overall cost of a funeral. To save money on it, you can opt not to use a gravestone and put a wooden cross with the details of your loved one at the gravesite. Additionally, you can opt for less expensive stone and have as little information as possible imprinted.
Opt for a less expensive casket: When selecting a casket for the deceased, there are several ways of making sure that you save money. Rather than go for a casket made of hardwood or metal, consider choosing one that’s made heavy –duty cardboard or fiberboard. While they aren’t the most exotic materials for caskets, they sure are a great way to save.
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