When a loved one passes, family members, relatives, and friends want a special time to remember the deceased as a way of closing. They want their cherished family member to be honored and remembered positively. There are many ways to do this now.
Add a Personalized Touch
Instead of having what many consider a traditional funeral, you can make it unique and display many personal items that show your loved one’s talents and distinctive traits. LovetoKnow provides many ideas for funeral services to honor your loved one.Start Planning Early
Before death, making funeral arrangements in advance is a good idea. You could plan it so that family members do not have to scramble to make plans when grieving.You could help with the funeral planning or provide all the details verbally about what you want included. It would reduce the stress of coming up with ideas because they would know what you want in your funeral. More details could be provided later.
Get the Information and Documents Together
Before you can even have a funeral, you need to provide the funeral home with some specific information. BusinessInsider says you will need to give the funeral home the deceased’s Social Security number, date of birth, and parents’ names.Funeral Planning
There are several ways to get started. You can begin by talking to a funeral director and learning about the burial options. You will also need to know about the funeral home’s various payment plans.Funeral homes often offer several funeral packages, but you do not have to buy one. The AARP says you can get an itemized list from them and buy what you want.
Keep in mind that you can purchase some items elsewhere. Buying a casket from a funeral home costs about $2,500, but Amazon will sell you one for about $999.
Pay in Advance
You can keep the cost of a funeral and burial steady if you pay in advance. When you do this, it locks in the price of the funeral, preventing you from paying more as the years go by. It also eliminates surprise expenses.Burial Insurance
Funerals can be costly, and if a family is unprepared, it could put them in debt for some time. According to Time, the average cost of a funeral with burial in 2024 is $8,300. When you include a burial vault, a required expense in most cemeteries, the average cost rises to about $10,000.The above cost only covers the basics. It does not include the price of the burial plot, the grave marker or monument, flowers, an obituary, other cash items, or the fee for the minister.
The Cost of Cremation
Cremation provides a less expensive way to take care of your loved one. The costs of cremation have been rising because more people want this service. According to FinanceStrategists, the average price for a basic cremation with a funeral is around $7,848.For much less, you can get a cremation if you forego the memorial service and burial. ChoiceMutual says the cost for direct cremation (immediate) is about $1,240.
The cremation fee is highly variable, depending on what services you want with it. The above figure includes the following costs. Suppose you want to display the body before cremation in a funeral service. In that case, the body will have to be prepared ($275) and embalmed ($775), a casket will have to be rented ($1,310), using their facility for a viewing and a funeral service ($965), and more.
ChoiceMutual says you can get free cremation if you donate your body to science. They only accept people who do not have certain infectious diseases or a BMI (body mass index) that is too high or low. They will later cremate the body and send the ashes back to you.
Burial Insurance
Often, funeral expenses can be paid for by buying burial insurance, also called final expense insurance or pre-need insurance. It is a type of whole-life insurance. Insurance policies usually pay quickly, giving you the necessary money to pay the funeral bill.Remember that individuals often have extended hospital or nursing home stays that can run up expensive medical bills before passing. Adding more coverage to your final expense policy can help cover those costs.
Choose Your Funeral Home Carefully
Funeral directors are all different, and SixtyandMe warns that not all of them are ethical. Only choose the first one you go to if they will accommodate your wishes.If you do not think your family members will carry out your funeral wishes, you can ask the funeral home to provide a form that will let you appoint someone else. It can also offer guidance when partners are unmarried and children want to get involved.
Ideally, USAToday recommends finding a funeral home to help you with burial, cremation, and memorialization services. The home should be willing to guide you through the process, answer your many questions, and provide you with ideas on how to make the service better. Some funeral homes offer 24-hour services to help families in need.
A Checklist for When a Loved One Dies
Many things need to be done after your loved one dies. Many organizations, such as AARP, have prepared a checklist that can help you think through some of the things you probably would not think of when a loved one dies.For best results, funeral planning should be completed in advance and can be part of your estate planning. Talk to a funeral director for ideas. They can provide much help and thoughts about what they have seen that worked very well.
The Epoch Times copyright © 2024. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.
