The day one must plan a funeral service is something everyone dreads. But as the cost of arranging one grows, many look to prepare for it in advance.
Even the most basic of funerals can become an expensive affair, including a myriad of hefty costs. These significant expenses depend on your location and the services you seek, which can be in the thousands if you don’t budget them properly.
Thus, budgeting funeral home expenses has only grown in recent years. By breaking down the expenses incurred and determining what services are important to you and your family, you can mitigate the costs quite a bit.
To this end, here is a guide to help you plan and organize the funeral home expenses without emptying your pockets.
How To Spend Your Funeral Home Budget
1. List All The Expenses
Whether you look to make cremation arrangements or arrange a typical burial, there are expenses involved every step of the way. Listing all the services you need to pay for will give you an overview of the total cost.
These may include:
- Moving the deceased to a funeral home or a crematory
- Preparing the deceased for a funeral service with embalming, clothing, etc.
- Preparing necessary paperwork and procuring permits
- Booking a funeral home for a particular day and time
- Casket for a burial ceremony
- Urn for a cremation ceremony
- Post-funeral gathering ceremonies
- Burial costs
- Cremation costs
2. Opting For A Prepaid Funeral Plan
Planning a funeral is a heart-rending process, which is why you can opt for a prepaid funeral plan. Doing so ensures that your deceased relatives get the exact services as desired, lowering the chances of overpaying.
Though convenient for everyone involved, should there be any issues, there is a chance of the prepaid service not returning your money. It can be an issue if the funeral needs to be relocated or if the funeral home shuts down. So, it’s better to plan accordingly.
3. Additional Advice
You can manage each individual step of the funeral planning on your own, and by doing so, you may find ways to save money. These are small pieces of advice that you can follow without much of a hassle.
- Ask a few funeral homes for their prices, as they vary greatly
- Purchase things like a casket from third-party sources if you can
- Organize a memorial service at your home
- Plan a funeral service quickly and skip the embalming entirely
- Choose a simple casket for burial
Conclusion
Talking about funerals is a morbid affair, but they are an important part of one’s life that must be managed correctly. Most people don’t know how to plan one (quite naturally), which can result in them paying more than they need to.
A funeral service is a safe space for people to mourn their loved ones, and they shouldn’t have to worry about the costs. By planning ahead and asking around, one can budget and organize a goodbye for their dear departed without breaking the bank.
To organize a funeral service for a recently deceased person, contact a funeral home!