Funeral Tips - tips for saving money at the funeral home.

  • Home
  • Compare Local Funeral Home Prices
  • Funeral Tips
  • About
  • Contact

Author Archive for Mike

What to do when you can’t afford to bury someone

Posted by Mike 
· December 16, 2019 
· No Comments

As the economy has slowed, more families have been forced, for financial reasons, to choose cremation instead of body burial when someone they care about dies.  A typical traditional funeral followed by body burial in a cemetery costs between $7,000 and $10,000. A typical funeral service that results in the body being cremated runs approximately $3000. While the trend towards cremation will likely continue in the near future, there are things you can do to make body burial more affordable.

One of the simplest things a family can do is choose a service level known as an “immediate burial”.  With an immediate burial the body is taken directly from the place of death (or morgue) to the cemetery. Normally, the body stops at the funeral home just long enough to secure the death certificate and burial permit (and for the family to buy a cemetery plot if they don’t already own one). No funeral ceremony is held at the funeral home.

The family can still choose to hold a memorial service elsewhere (e.g. at their church – often for free).  This would reduce funeral expenses enough to allow the family to bury the deceased in a cemetery for about what it would cost to hold a typical cremation service at a funeral home.

Forgoing services at the funeral home will usually allow you to reduce or eliminate these costs:

  • Funeral ceremony
  • Viewing or visitation ceremony
  • A nicer, more elaborate casket
  • Embalming
  • Other body preparation (e.g. makeup and hairdressing)

By choosing an immediate burial followed by a memorial service at your church you can realistically reduce the funeral home’s bill from about $7,500 to about $3,000.   There are actually quite a few things you can do to reduce the costs associated with both body burial and cremation. It pays to learn a little bit about the prices and options available in your area.

If you would like to save money the next time you need to make funeral arrangements, you can search and compare local funeral home pricing at Parting.com.

No Comments
Categories : Tips to Lower Funeral Costs

What costs are associated with a traditional funeral service?

Posted by Mike 
· December 13, 2019 

This post provides price ranges for many of the items associated with a traditional funeral service.  Reviewing these considerations will help you identify the type of funeral service most appropriate for your budget.

A traditional funeral service can cost nearly $10,000

While the average funeral costs nearly $7,500, many traditional funerals cost in excess of $10,000.  Here are the main components typically associated with a traditional funeral:

  • casket: $2,300
  • funeral director’s basic services fee: $1,400
  • embalming and body preparation: $600
  • viewing / visitation ceremony: $400
  • funeral ceremony: $450
  • transportation (pick up body, limousine, and hearse): $625
  • miscellaneous (certificates, permits, music, clergy, obituary, register book, service folders, obituary, flowers): $500
  • grave site $1,000
  • fee to dig grave site $500
  • headstone $1,500

The above costs represent national averages for many of the costs associated with a traditional funeral service.  Your actual costs could be higher (or lower) based upon geographic location, the funeral home you select, and the actual items you purchase.

If you would like to save money the next time you need to make funeral arrangements, you can search and compare local funeral home pricing at Parting.com.

Categories : Funeral Planning Guidance
Tags : Funeral Costs, Funeral Prices, Traditional Funeral, Traditional Funeral Service

What is direct cremation?

Posted by Mike 
· December 10, 2019 

This article discusses direct cremation.  There are three main reasons people choose cremation over body burial:

  • it’s less expensive
  • it saves land
  • it provides increased mobility (i.e. it is easy to transport / relocate cremains)

A point of clarification before we get started: cremation replicates the same process that a buried body eventually undergoes.  Over time, a buried body decomposes and ends up as ashes – just like what happens through cremation.

A description of direct cremation

When you choose direct cremation, the body is taken directly from the place of death (or morgue) to the crematory where it is exposed to high heat and reduced to a sand-like consistency.

Normally, the body stops at the funeral home or crematory (some funeral homes have their own on-site crematory) just long enough to secure the death certificate and cremation permit – and for the family to sign the cremation authorization form.

No funeral or visitation ceremonies are held when you choose direct cremation. Furthermore, the body is not embalmed, nor does it receive hair care or makeup application.  Since the body will be cremated without first having a viewing ceremony, these services are unnecessary.

You do not need to purchase a casket for the cremation process.  You can instead choose to place the body in a special cardboard box known as an “alternative container.”  This saves the expense of buying an expensive casket.

The actual cremation arrangements can be made directly with a crematory or at a funeral home.  Some funeral homes do the cremation themselves; while others contract the actual cremation out to a separate crematory.

Direct cremation:  a summary of the main steps

  • removal of body to funeral home or crematory
  • obtain permits and authorization
  • body heated in a cremation oven (called a “retort”)
  • cremains (i.e. ashes) returned to family
  • family can dispose of cremains as they see fit

Most families simply take the cremains home in a cardboard box or urn.  Some families will later decide to scatter the cremains at a favorite location, bury them in a cemetery plot, or store them in an urn on the living room mantle.

If you would like to save money the next time you need to make funeral arrangements, you can search and compare local funeral home pricing at Parting.com.

Categories : Funeral Planning Guidance
Tags : Direct Cremation

Get smart before planning a funeral.

Posted by Mike 
· December 6, 2019 

Before planning a funeral you should know that death care in America is a business. There are service providers (e.g. funeral homes, cemeteries, and headstone dealers) and there are consumers (people like you and me who need to make funeral arrangements).

Like any business, funeral homes and cemeteries should provide their goods and services on an honest and fair basis. Unfortunately, this rarely happens as several characteristics unique to the funeral industry place the consumer at a significant disadvantage when making funeral arrangements.

Unique characteristics inherent in planning a funeral:

  • disorientation caused by bereavement
  • infrequency of purchase
  • lack of objective information
  • the need to make decisions quickly
  • social taboos surrounding death
  • lack of standards by which to judge funeral goods & services
The reality is that most people:
  • fail to view funeral arrangements as a business transaction
  • are ignorant of the law as it pertains to disposal of the dead
  • know very little about how a funeral home operates

Together these characteristics place consumers at a significant disadvantage when making funeral arrangements. Funeral homes are staffed by experienced salesmen who deal with the business of death every day. These professional salespeople square off against emotionally distraught families forced to act hastily with little or no information about legal requirements and available options.

They really aren’t concerned about your best interests

The profit-obsessed nature of the funeral industry creates a conflict of interest between the desire for sales and the consumer’s need for meaning and affordability. The funeral home can make substantially more money if they can manipulate a family into buying unnecessary and overpriced items.  In this unbalanced and highly charged environment, purchase decisions are often based on what the funeral home offers to sell instead of what the family wants (or can afford) to purchase. This increases consumer costs and decreases consumer satisfaction with the goods and services received.

You can level the playing field

This website and the Funeral Saver’s Kit “level the playing field”. Together they give you, the consumer, objective information and tools needed to understand, evaluate, and make satisfying and affordable funeral arrangements.

A major assumption that lies behind modern funeral practices is that “nothing is too good for the dead”….but you are NOT being disrespectful to the deceased by being practical regarding the arrangements.

No one wants to look like they “skimped” on the funeral

Most people want to avoid looking cheap when making funeral arrangements. They want to arrange “a nice, decent funeral”, but they have no idea what a nice, decent funeral looks like. And everybody is concerned about price – so don’t feel guilty about wanting or needing to make less expensive arrangements.  Did you know that when President John F. Kennedy died, even his family didn’t want to overpay?  The Kennedy family’s accountant was hired to review the funeral home’s bill and identify unnecessary charges.  In the end, the accountant was able to save the family a substantial amount of money.

There will be a temptation to just throw up your hands and let the funeral director make all the decisions because of time pressures, uncomfortable decisions, and the emotional stress of dealing with all the pertinent details, but that can be an expensive and unnecessary mistake.

Next to a house and car, a funeral is the third most expensive purchase the average American citizen makes during his lifetime. Just as you are careful when buying a car or house, being careful when making funeral arrangements can result in tremendous financial savings.

The Funeral Saver’s Kit, along with this website, gives you honest advice regarding choices and prices…after all, you have to live the rest of your life with the decisions you make in an hour or two; if you waste money now, it’s gone forever.

The key to feeling comfortable and saving money is knowing the available alternatives and asking for them – and that’s what you’ll learn using the help you find here.

Remember, stripped to its simplest form a funeral is merely saying goodbye and disposing of the remains…all else is really unnecessary.

If you would like to save money the next time you need to make funeral arrangements, you can search and compare local funeral home pricing at Parting.com.

 

Categories : Funeral Planning Guidance
Tags : Death Care Industry, Funeral Home, Funeral Saver's Kit, Planning a Funeral

Lower funeral costs by taking advantage of any military benefits.

Posted by Mike 
· December 3, 2019 

Before spending thousands of dollars at the funeral home and cemetery, check to see if the decedent qualified for free funeral items from the government.  Why pay for something the government is willing to provide for free?  After all, the decedent has already earned it!

Many military veterans are eligible for free grave spaces and headstones.

You can search online for information about military benefits or check out section five of the Funeral Saver’s Kit.  It’ll show you which services and goods are provided at no cost by the U.S. government and how to claim your benefits.

Note: be aware of so-called “free grave” scams that are sometimes offered to veterans.  This is where the veteran is offered a free grave site, but upon death, the family has to pay an unusually high price to have the grave site dug.

Watch out for scams

Because many surviving spouses want to be buried next to their deceased spouse, the cemetery may also double the price of all surrounding graves.  This allows the cemetery to make up any profits lost on the veteran’s “free” grave.

Not surprisingly, these scams end up costing surviving spouses and children thousands of unexpected dollars every year.

If you would like to save money the next time you need to make funeral arrangements, you can search and compare local funeral home pricing at Parting.com.

Categories : Tips to Lower Funeral Costs
Tags : Cemetery, Free Grave Scam, Funeral Costs, Government Funeral Benefits, Military Benefits, Veterans

Donating your body to science – what you need to know about body donation.

Posted by Mike 
· November 30, 2019 

Many people consider donating their body to science in lieu of choosing a funeral followed by cemetery burial.

Donating your body to science:  a basic description

When you choose to donate a deceased body to science, you are essentially donating the body to aid medical research – usually to teach medical students about anatomy.

When you donate a body, a representative from the medical school picks up the body and takes it to back to the school school where it’s embalmed and stored.  The body is used to teach anatomy to medical students during the following semester’s classes.  After the semester ends, the body is cremated.

The cremated remains (i.e. cremains) are either returned to the family or buried in communal plot in a cemetery near the medical school.

Families choosing to donate a body to science can still choose to hold their own memorial service after the death; however, in cases of body donation, the cremains will not be present during the memorial service (because the body needs to be transported to the medical school immediately following death).

The medical school usually holds a single memorial service for all of the bodies used during the previous semester’s classes, and surviving family members are invited to attend the ceremony.   The medical school’s memorial service occurs approximately two years after the date of death.

After the school holds their memorial service, the cremains are usually buried in a cemetery near the medical school.  However, the family can also request the cremains be returned to the family.  Again, this occurs nearly two years after death.

Body donation – typical requirements

Medical schools have specific rules that must be followed in order to donate a body for their use.  Most schools only accept fully-intact bodies (because they can also use the organs in their research).  This means most schools will not accept a body that has been autopsied or that has donated bodily organs.

Note: usually, you are allowed to donate the eyes without jeopardizing the full body donation – but check with your specific donation program first, just to be sure.

Here is an index that identifies body donation programs.

I live near the Cleveland Clinic, and they also have a reputable medical donation program.

There is usually no cost associated with donating a body to a medical school, as long as you deal directly with the school itself.  Many funeral homes will help arrange a medical donation, but they usually charge a fee (about $1,000) for doing so.

If you would like to save money the next time you need to make funeral arrangements, you can search and compare local funeral home pricing at Parting.com.

Categories : Funeral Planning Guidance
Tags : Body Donation, Donating Your Body to Science, Medical Donation

How to plan an affordable funeral.

Posted by Mike 
· November 27, 2019 

This article teaches you how to plan an affordable funeral.  With the typical funeral now costing more than the price of a good used car, many families need help making more affordable funeral (and cremation) arrangements.

Affordable Funeral Costs vs. Typical Funeral Costs

Most American funerals now cost between $8,000 and $10,000.  Unfortunately, as baby boomers age, demand for funeral services will grow and drive funeral prices up even further.  Some experts predict that within three years the average traditional funeral will cost nearly $12,000.

Fortunately, with a little planning you can realistically cut out-of-pocket funeral expenses in half.  This means you can save between $4,000 and $5,000 when planning a traditional funeral service or between $1,500 and $3,000 when planning a standard cremation service.

Why It’s Hard to Plan an Affordable Funeral

Even though many people complain about funeral prices, the cost of cremating or burying a loved one continues to increase every year.  Before we identify the things you can do to plan a more affordable funeral or cremation service, it may be helpful to discuss why funerals are so expensive.

First, a few facts about funeral homes:
  • funeral homes (and many cemeteries) are in business to make a profit
  • many funeral homes are now owned by large global corporations
  • the more things they can sell you, the more profit they make
  • the income for many funeral directors now comes entirely from sales commissions

Unfortunately, most people have no idea what funeral goods and services are required when a loved one dies, nor do they know what those goods and services should cost, so they end up buying whatever the funeral director recommends.  Funeral directors know this, so they simply don’t tell families about less expensive options.

While there isn’t anything wrong with running a profitable business, many funeral homes achieve their above-average profits by misleading weary and grieving consumers.  Unfortunately, when it comes to funerals, it is easy to mislead consumers.

Until recently most funeral planning information came directly from funeral directors.  This meant the only information available to families was what they were told by the very people trying to sell them something.

Unfortunately, many funeral homes only provide information about their most expensive options, so families have little objective information to consider when making final arrangements.  Simply put: the majority of families don’t know how to find more reasonably priced options.

But here is some good news: the Internet is making it possible for resources such as the [Funeral Saver’s Kit] to provide families with objective, accurate information that can help them make affordable funeral and cremation arrangements.  In fact, much of the information contained in this article comes from the Funeral Saver’s Kit.

How to Plan a More Affordable Funeral

Fortunately funeral planning is one area in which a little education makes a big difference.  There are several things you can do that will help you plan a more affordable funeral or cremation service.  Here are three basic strategies:

  • Choose a low-priced funeral home
  • Choose reasonably priced goods and services
  • Don’t be afraid to negotiate
 Choosing a low-priced funeral home

While most funeral homes offer similar services, they often price their services differently.  For example, Funeral Home A might charge a large fee for the funeral director’s time and add a small markup on the price of a casket; while Funeral Home B might charge a smaller fee for the funeral director’s time, but then make up for it by charging a much higher price for the casket.

Because you are now legally allowed to purchase your own casket from the Internet, funeral home B will usually be willing to discount the price of their casket in exchange for your business.  The combination of Funeral Home B’s lower fee for the funeral director’s time and the reduced price of their casket can save you thousands in unnecessary expenses.

Unfortunately, most families do not know which funeral homes in their area offer the lowest prices for the funeral director’s time.  That’s where resources like the Funeral Saver’s Kit come into play.  You can use the Funeral Saver’s Kit to find the funeral homes in your area that offer the lowest prices for the funeral director’s time.  The kit also shows you how to obtain a large discount on any model of casket.

Choose reasonably priced goods and services

Most families have no idea what funeral goods and services cost, nor do they have any idea how large the funeral director’s markup is on the goods and services they buy.  It is common for funeral homes to markup the cost of their goods by 300% to 500%.  These markups can add thousands of dollars to the funeral home’s bill.

Consumers can be richly rewarded with substantial savings by understanding which funeral goods and services are required and knowing how much those goods and services cost the funeral home.

Once you know which goods and services are required – and how much they should cost – you are in position to make appropriate choices based on your family’s preferences and budget.  You can consult the Funeral Saver’s Kit for a detailed listing of legal requirements and prices pertaining to all funeral and cemetery goods and services.

A key to affordable funeral planning is understanding how the service you select impacts the overall price of the funeral.  For example, choosing body burial as a means of final disposition means you will have to purchase a casket, outer burial container, cemetery space, and a headstone.

This means that simply agreeing with the funeral director when he suggest a “traditional” funeral can result in thousands of dollars in additional expenses.  Alternatively, choosing cremation – or a different type of funeral service – can eliminate many of these “add on” expenses.

However, you can no longer assume cremation will be less expensive than body burial.  Over the last few years a new trend has been emerging in the funeral industry: more families are choosing cremation in lieu of a full-blown funeral.  In response to this trend, many funeral homes have raised prices for their cremation services in an attempt to protect their profit margins.

While cremation can still eliminate many cemetery-related expenses, a large portion of the savings previously enjoyed when choosing cremation are now eaten up by additional funeral home expenses – so it pays to understand what you are getting for your money.  Again, a resource such as the Funeral Saver’s Kit makes it easy to understand all of this so there are no surprises.

Don’t be afraid to negotiate

The death of a loved one is one of the most stressful situations any of us will ever encounter.  Not only do we have to deal with the emotional baggage and grieving that’s a normal part of losing a loved one, but we are forced to square off against a well polished funeral home employee working toward a large sales commission.

And because most families do not want to look cheap when making funeral arrangements for a loved one, they end up paying the funeral home’s “sticker price” for the goods and services they are sold.

However, because funeral home goods and services include substantial markups, there is plenty of room for educated consumers to obtain legitimate discounts.  Many times the funeral home can easily cut their prices in half and still make a substantial profit off of the family’s funeral.

Unfortunately, most families are reluctant – and lack the necessary information needed – to negotiate an appropriate discount on a funeral service.  The key is in understanding how the funeral home’s prices compare to their costs.  Any funeral good or service that is marked up by hundreds (or thousands) of dollars is ripe for a discount.

Don’t be afraid to tell the funeral director you will purchase certain funeral goods from another supplier instead of buying them from the funeral home.  Because the funeral director realizes you can buy many of his goods much cheaper somewhere else, he will be ready and willing to offer a knowledgeable family a substantial discount off of his list prices in order to keep their business.

You can find a list of reputable Internet suppliers in the appendix to the Funeral Saver’s Kit.  The kit includes a report card that rates the relative quality, prices, and selection of leading online funeral suppliers.  It also includes a detailed listing of the markups applied to common funeral items.)

The need for more affordable funeral options….

As the baby boomer generation reaches retirement age, demand for funeral goods and services will outstrip the ability of funeral homes to provide those goods and services.  Unfortunately, this means that funeral prices will increase by a substantial amount over the next two decades.

Fortunately, technology and the Internet have made it easier for families to beat the funeral homes at their own game.

If you would like to save money the next time you need to make funeral arrangements, you can search and compare local funeral home pricing at Parting.com.

Categories : Tips to Lower Funeral Costs
Tags : Affordable Cremation, Affordable Funeral

What is an “immediate burial”?

Posted by Mike 
· November 24, 2019 

Choosing an “immediate burial” when making funeral arrangements can have a big impact on the total cost of a funeral. This article will explain what the funeral home does when you choose an immediate burial instead of a traditional funeral.

What are the key elements of an immediate burial?

The funeral home does four things when you choose an immediate burial:

  • remove body from place of death to funeral home
  • obtain permits
  • transport body to a final resting place
  • bury or entomb the body upon arrival at the cemetery

What is an immediate burial?

With an immediate burial the body is taken directly from the place of death (or from the morgue) to the cemetery. Normally, the body stops at the funeral home just long enough to secure the death certificate and burial permit – and for the family to buy the cemetery lot.  The body is then transported to the cemetery where it will be buried in a grave or entombed in a mausoleum crypt.

With an immediate burial there is no:

  • funeral ceremony
  • viewing or visitation ceremony
  • grave side ceremony
  • embalming or other body preparation

Although immediate burials do not include any type of formal ceremony, many families choose to hold a get-together at a relative’s house following the burial. This allows the family to get a sense of closure without incurring additional expenses at the funeral home.

Click here to find out how much an immediate burial costs.

 

 

Categories : Funeral Planning Guidance
Tags : Immediate Burial, Immediate Burials

What are the advantages and disadvantages of direct cremation?

Posted by Mike 
· November 21, 2019 

Direct Cremation Advantages

Direct cremation offers an affordable alternative to traditional body burial.

While direct cremation can significantly reduce funeral home costs, you can reap additional financial benefits from the cemetery and headstone dealer.  If you choose not to bury the cremated remains – and many people do not – you can eliminate many items that make the traditional funeral so expensive.

Here is a list of costs you can eliminate by choosing direct cremation:
  • expensive casket
  • embalming
  • funeral home staff and facilities charge
  • cosmetic and hair dressing charges
  • funeral chapel or church fees
  • viewing or visitation charges
  • transportation fees (hearse, flower car, utility vehicle, etc.)
  • burial plot or mausoleum crypt
  • vault or grave liner
  • grave opening and closing costs
  • headstone or grave marker

But price is not the only advantage in choosing direct cremation.  Many people prefer cremation because the cremains (i.e. ashes) are portable.  This allows families to take remains with them when they move.  Many people also feel that choosing cremation over body burial is friendlier to the environment because no land is disturbed.

Direct cremation is also simpler and more expedient.  The entire affair usually takes place in just two or three days; furthermore, direct cremation requires less time commitment from the family.  This can be especially important if surviving family members are ill, disabled, or live far away.

Cremation also offers a wide range of disposition options.  While most families decide to keep remains at home, other options exist.

Direct Cremation Disadvantages

While direct cremation offers many advantages, you also need to consider its potential disadvantages before finalizing your plans.

Because many families find comfort in holding a traditional funeral service, a simpler direct cremation may not be therapeutic enough to satisfy surviving family members.

In addition, direct cremation does not allow the family to celebrate the decedent’s life, nor does it give friends an opportunity to say goodbye.

And because the funeral home makes less money when providing direct cremation services, funeral home employees may try harder to sell you extras.

Lastly, even though you may not have to buy a grave site or headstone, you will incur an additional expense if you decide to purchase an urn.

If you would like to save money the next time you need to make funeral arrangements, you can search and compare local funeral home pricing at Parting.com.

Categories : Funeral Planning Guidance
Tags : Direct Cremation

Choosing cremation with services: the advantages and disadvantages.

Posted by Mike 
· November 18, 2019 

Choosing cremation with services has advantages and disadvantages.  In many ways this choice combines the benefits of traditional funeral services with the cost savings associated with cremation.

Cremation with services: advantages

Choosing cremation with services can be more therapeutic than choosing direct cremation for some families.  Because this choice includes some type of remembrance ceremony (e.g. a viewing or funeral ceremony), many families find this more comforting than direct cremation.

The viewing or memorial service allows friends and family to share in commemorating the life of the deceased and gives friends a chance to comfort the family.

Cremation can also be much less expensive than a full traditional funeral.  Choosing cremation allows you to eliminate many costs associated with funerals including the casket, gravesite, cemetery fee, and headstone cost.

Many people also consider cremation a more environmentally-friendly option because no land is disturbed for burial purposes.

Another benefit of cremation is that it provides portability of cremains.  If surviving family members move away, they can easily take cremated remains with them.

Cremation also allows for a wide variety of disposition options.  While some families do decide to bury cremains in a cemetery, most families simply take the cremains home.  However, many other options exist.  Please see the Funeral Saver’s Kit for a complete discussion of cremation options.

Cremation with services: disadvantages

Cremation also has its disadvantages.  Choosing cremation with related services will always cost more than choosing direct cremation.  Because cremation is less profitable for funeral homes, they often try to sell families unnecessary and expensive add-ons.  This is much easier to do when the family chooses cremation with services.

Also, if the family does decide to bury cremated remains in a cemetery, they will still need to purchase grave space and pay for the installation of a headstone or grave marker.  However, costs are usually lower when burying cremains than they are for burying a casketed body.

Depending on the type of services you choose, cremation with services can trigger costs such as an expensive casket (if you choose to have a viewing ceremony of the body prior to cremation), embalming, funeral home fees, and the cost of an urn.

This article highlights the main issues you need to consider when choosing cremation with services.  Many people prefer this arrangement because it combines memorial benefits with the savings associated with cremation.

If you would like to save money the next time you need to make funeral arrangements, you can search and compare local funeral home pricing at Parting.com.

Categories : Funeral Planning Guidance
Tags : Cremation, Cremation Costs, Cremation With Services
Next Page »

Categories

  • Funeral and Cremation FAQ's
  • Funeral Planning Guidance
  • Tips to Lower Funeral Costs

Search

Funeral-Tips.com
Copyright © 2019 All Rights Reserved