Honoring the deceased
Traditional funerals can run into the tens of thousands of dollars and it can be very hard to plan a truly affordable funeral. Time after time, investigations into funeral home practices find that funeral homes make it difficult to purchase affordable services. It's not uncommon for those in the funeral industry to take advantage of the grief and confusion caused by death and up-sell their products by linking the cost of a funeral to the amount of love the bereaved have for the deceased.If you don't want to burden your loved ones with expenses after you pass, it's best for you to pre-plan your funeral. It'll make things easier on the loved ones you leave behind, and save them the effort of avoiding the sales traps so common in the funeral industry.
Sales Tactics
While most people involved in the funeral industry are there to help others through the difficult experience of death, some aren't so benevolent. Some funeral homes will refer to affordable caskets (under $1000) as 'only for the indigent'. This is a deliberately insulting tactic, intended to guilt the party into spending more money. They may also misrepresent facts and circumstances surrounding direct burial and other low cost funeral options. Be aware of this, as you discuss affordable funeral arrangements with different funeral directors. Let them know you are familiar with The Funeral Rule.
Some funeral homes advertise 'affordable funerals' beginning at $5000! If a funeral home tells you this is a low cost funeral, they're deceiving you. You can easily purchase all the necessary funeral services and components for under $2500.
You should also find out if the funeral home is part of a conglomerate, such as SCI. These places may be very expensive, but if you shop around you can likely find wide variations in pricing among different funeral homes in your area.
Cost Saving Suggestions
There are a number of ways to save money when planning a funeral. You can go shopping for affordable or discount caskets. There's nothing wrong with saving money this way, as the casket is only a box someone is buried in. There are also other casket options , and also ways to save money on grave markers.
When purchasing a burial container, consider a grave liner over an expensive burial vault.
Buying a pre-owned grave plot is one of several ways to save money when you are buying a grave plot. If you're not interested in a traditional funeral, a cremation ceremony, which from beginning to scattering may cost under $1000.