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Common Funeral Terms

Posted by Mike 
· July 2, 2020 

ARRANGEMENT CONFERENCE – A meeting held between the funeral director and family members of the deceased to finalize funeral arrangements.  During this meeting the funeral director will discuss the family’s wishes and budget and prepare a binding contract for the funeral goods and services selected by the family.  This meeting usually takes place at the funeral home shortly after death has occurred.  However, it may also be held at a hospital or the family’s home.

ARRANGEMENT ROOM – A room at the funeral home used to make the necessary funeral arrangements with the family of the deceased.

BEREAVED – (N) The immediate family of the deceased. (V) suffering from grief upon the death of a loved one.

BURIAL – Placing of a dead body in an underground chamber – earth burial- interment

BURIAL CERTIFICATE OR PERMIT – A legal paper issued by the local government authorizing burial. The permit may authorize earth burial or cremation or removal to a distant point.

CASKET – A receptacle of wood, metal or plastic into which the dead human body is placed for burial. Sometimes referred to as a “coffin”.

CASKET COACH – Hearse – A special car designed and used to transport casketed remains from the funeral service to the cemetery. Also known as a Funeral Coach.

CEMETERY – An area of ground set aside for burial or entombment of the deceased.

CERTIFIED DEATH CERTIFICATE – A legalized copy of the original certificate, issued upon request by the local government for the purpose of substantiating various claims by the family of the deceased such as insurance and other death benefits.

CHAPEL – A large room in the funeral home in which the farewell service is held.

COLUMBARIUM – A granite wall for placing an urn containing cremated remains.

COMMITTAL SERVICE – The final portion of the funeral service at which time the deceased is interred or entombed.

COSMETOLOGY – Utilization of cosmetics to restore life like appearance to the deceased.

CREMAINS – another term for “ashes”.

CREMATION – Reduction of the body to ashes by fire.

CREMATION PERMIT – A certificate issued by local government authorizing cremation of the deceased.

CREMATORY – A furnace for cremating remains – a building housing such a furnace.

CRYPT – A vault or room used for keeping remains.

DEATH CERTIFICATE – A legal paper signed by the attending physician showing the cause of death and other vital statistical data pertaining to the deceased.

DEATH NOTICE – That paragraph in the classified section of a newspaper, or on the Internet, publicizing the death of a person and giving those details of the funeral service the survivors wish to have published. Sometimes referred to as an obituary.

DECEASED – (N) one in whom all physical life has ceased; (V) dead.

DISPLAY ROOM – That room in the funeral home in which caskets, urns, and other funeral merchandise is displayed.

EMBALM – The process of preserving a dead body by means of circulating a preservative embalming fluid through the veins and arteries.

EMBALMING FLUID – Liquid chemicals used in preserving a dead body.

EULOGY– A brief speech (or speeches) that offers praise and celebrates the life of the person who has died.

EXHUME – To dig up the remains; to remove from the place of burial.

FAMILY CAR – A limousine in the funeral procession set aside for the use of the immediate family. This is the car right behind the hearse in the funeral procession.

FLOWER CAR – A vehicle used for the transportation of flower pieces from the funeral home to the church and/or cemetery.

FINAL RITES – The funeral service.

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS – Funeral director’s conference with the family for the purpose of completing financial and service details of a funeral.

FUNERAL DIRECTOR – A person who prepares for the burial or other disposition of dead human bodies, supervises such burial or disposition, maintains a funeral establishment for such purposes. Also known as a mortician or undertaker.

FUNERAL HOME – A building used for the purpose of embalming, arranging and conducting funerals.

FUNERAL SERVICE – 1) The profession which deals with the handling of dead human bodies; 2) The religious or other rites conducted immediately before final disposition of the dead human body.

FUNERAL SPRAY – A large bunch of cut flowers sent to the residence of the deceased or to the funeral home as a floral tribute to the deceased.

GRAVE – An excavation in the earth for the purpose of burying the deceased .

GRAVE LINER – A receptacle made of concrete, metal or wood into which the casket is placed. Normally this item has four sides and a top but no bottom. The main purpose of this item is to prevent the ground from sinking down around the grave site as the earth settles. By keeping the grass above the grave level with the rest of the cemetery, it’s easier to mow. This item is less expensive than a vault.

GRAVE (OR MEMORIAL) MARKER – A headstone. A method of identifying the occupant of a particular grave. Permanent grave markers are usually made of metal or stone and give data such as the name of the individual, date and place of birth, date and place of death.

HONORARY PALLBEARERS – Friends or members of a religious, social or fraternal organization who act as an escort or honor guard for the deceased. Honorary pallbearers do not carry the casket.

INTER – To bury a dead body in the earth in a grave or tomb.

INURNMENT – The placing of cremains (i.e. “ashes”) into an urn.

LEAD CAR – The vehicle in which the funeral director and sometimes the clergyman rides. When the procession is formed, the lead car moves to the front and leads the procession to the church and/or cemetery. This car is usually in front of the hearse.

LIMOUSINE – An automobile designed to seat five or more persons behind the driver’s seat.

MASS CARDS – A card indicating that a Mass for the deceased has been arranged. (Catholic religion)

MAUSOLEUM – A building specially designed with several chambers to receive casketed remains. A permanent above ground resting place for the dead.

MEMORIAL – the generic name given to any type of headstone or flat marker used to identify the occupant of a particular grave or crypt. A marker is usually a flat piece of granite or bronze upon which identifying data is inscribed. A headstone is usually two large pieces of granite or marble upon which the identifying information is carved. The identifying information may include the name of the individual, date and place of birth, date and place of death. NOTE: in this kit I use the term “memorial” to represent any type of headstone or marker. Section 2 of this kit describes in detail the various types and features of memorial markers available.

MEMORIAL DONATION – A memorial contribution specified to a particular cause or charity, usually in lieu of flowers.

MEMORIAL SERVICE – A religious service conducted in memory of the deceased without the body being present. This term also applies when the service is conducted while the ashes / cremains are present.

MORGUE – A place in which the bodies of persons found dead are kept until identified and claimed or until arrangements for burial have been made.

MORTICIAN – See funeral director.

MORTUARY – A synonym for funeral home – a building specifically designed and constructed for caring for the dead.

MOURNER – One who is present at the funeral out of affection or respect for the deceased.

NICHE – A small opening or recess in a wall that is used to display an urn containing cremated remains.

OBITUARY – A notice of the death of a person usually placed in a newspaper, or on the Internet, containing a biographical sketch of the deceased person. Sometimes referred to as a death notice.

PALLBEARERS – Individuals whose duty it is to carry the casket when necessary during funeral service. Pallbearers in some sections of the country are hired and in other sections they are close friends and relatives of the deceased.

PLOT – A specific area of ground in a cemetery owned by a family or individual. A plot usually contains two or more graves. This is the space used to bury the casketed body or an urn containing cremains (ashes).

PREARRANGED FUNERAL – Funeral arrangements completed by an individual prior to his/her death.

PRIVATE SERVICE – This service is by invitation only and may be held at a place of worship, a funeral home or a family home. This type of service is not open to the public or uninvited friends and family members.

PROCESSION – The vehicular movement of the funeral from the place where the funeral service was conducted to the cemetery. May also apply to a church funeral where the mourners follow the casket as it is brought into and taken out of the church.

PUTREFACTION – The decomposition of the body upon death which causes discoloration and the formation of a foul smelling product.

REGISTER – A book made available by the funeral director for recording the names of people visiting the funeral home to pay their respects to the deceased. Also has space for entering other data such as name, dates of birth and death of the deceased, name of the officiating clergyman, place of interment, time and date of service, list of floral tributes, etc.

REMAINS – The deceased.

REPOSING ROOM – A room of the funeral home where a body is stored from the time it is casketed until the time of the funeral service.

RESTORATION – The process of restoring mutilated and distorted features by employing wax, creams, plaster, etc.

RIGOR MORTIS – Rigidity of the muscles which occurs at death.

SERVICE CAR – Usually a utility vehicle such as a pickup truck or van. It is utilized to transport chairs, flower stands, shipping cases, etc.

SPIRITUAL BANQUET – A Roman Catholic practice involving specific prayers, such as Masses and Rosaries, offered by an individual or a group for a definite purpose.

SURVIVOR – The persons outliving the deceased, particularly the immediate family.

SYMPATHY CARDS – A card sent to the family to express sympathy.

URN – A container into which cremated remains are placed, made of metal, wood or stone.

VAULT – A receptacle made of concrete, metal or wood into which the casket is placed. Normally this item has four sides and both a top and bottom. The main purpose of this item is to prevent the ground from sinking down around the grave site as the earth settles. By keeping the grass above the grave level with the rest of the cemetery, it is easier to mow. This item is more expensive than a grave liner – but it serves the same purpose.

VIEWING – An opportunity for survivors and friends to view the closed casket of the deceased in private, usually in a special room within the funeral home.

VIGIL – A Roman Catholic religious service held on the eve of the funeral service.

VISITATION – An opportunity for survivors and friends to view the open casket of the deceased in private, usually in a special room within the funeral home.

WAKE – A watch kept over the deceased, sometimes lasting the entire night preceding the funeral.

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
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What’s the difference between a funeral service and a memorial service?

Posted by Mike 
· June 29, 2020 

Funeral homes provide different services depending on the needs and preferences of the decedent’s family.  While many people use the phrases “funeral service” and “memorial service” interchangeably, they are actually different services.

A “funeral service” is any official ceremony that takes place in the presence of a casketed body.  In other words, the body (inside a casket) is present during the ceremony.  The casket lid may be open or closed.

A “memorial service”, on the other hand, is any official ceremony that takes place without the casketed body being present.  For example, the ceremony might take place with just an urn containing cremated remains (i.e. “ashes”) serving as the focal point of the ceremony.  Alternatively, the focal point could be just a picture of the deceased displayed on an easel.

Other than this distinction, both a funeral service and a memorial service are similar.  Both types of services last approximately 25 minutes and are usually accompanied by a eulogy delivered by a family member or clergy member.

Usually, a funeral home will charge the same amount for a memorial ceremony as they charge for a funeral ceremony (around $500).  Remember, the ceremony itself is just one component of overall funeral costs.  A typical funeral or memorial service can easily run more than $7,000.

There are many things you may want to consider when deciding between a funeral, memorial, or cremation service.

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

Posted by Mike 
· June 25, 2020 

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.

Categories : Tips to Lower Funeral Costs

What are the advantages and disadvantages of direct cremation?

Posted by Mike 
· June 22, 2020 

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
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Get smart about funeral prices.

Posted by Mike 
· June 19, 2020 

I’ll admit that gathering information about funeral prices is harder than it should be.  In addition, funeral homes and cemeteries are subject to different requirements when it comes to providing you with information about their prices and options.

Funeral prices are not set in stone

If you only take away one thing from this article it should be this: funeral prices can vary greatly from one funeral home to the next.  This means a funeral service at one funeral home can cost thousands of dollars more than a similar service held at another funeral home right down the street….so it pays to shop around!

Why most people don’t compare funeral prices

Unfortunately, most people do not compare prices between funeral homes.  This is understandable for a couple of reasons:

  • We don’t like to talk about or plan for death
  • Funeral plans often need to be made quickly – this can be especially burdensome when the death was unexpected
  • Most people simply do not know enough about funeral planning to even know what questions to ask or what items to compare
  • No one wants to be perceived as being cheap when it comes to making funeral arrangements for a loved one

However, you should approach the process of buying funeral goods and services just like you would any other major purchase – take the time to educate yourself as to the options and prices available in the marketplace.

Unfortunately, many funeral homes and cemeteries are reluctant to share their prices with you unless you use specific language when making your request.  They know they stand a much better chance of selling you an expensive funeral if they can first get you into their office before providing any information about funeral costs.

The good news is that there are specific things you can say that will force the funeral home to give you their price information for FREE….and no funeral home would ever dare give you a sales pitch when you use this specific language.

There’s an easy way to gather information about funeral prices

If you’re using the Funeral Saver’s Kit you’ll find a simple chart that clearly explains an easy (and low stress) way to collect pricing information from any funeral home in your area.  The kit tells you exactly what to say to ensure you get honest information at no cost to you.  You can use this to collect information from every funeral home in your area or just those that interest you.

The best advice I can give you when it comes to collecting funeral price information is this: DON’T be afraid to pick up the phone and call it least three funeral homes in your area and ask them for a copy of their “general price list”.

Each funeral home’s general price list will describe services and merchandise in similar terms.  This makes it easy to compare relative prices between competing funeral homes.  Also, if a funeral home gives you a hard time about giving you information about their prices, forget them.  That’s a good clue they know their prices will not compare favorably to their competitors.

Remember to compare your local price information to the actual price ranges included in the Funeral Saver’s Kit…so you can be certain you’re getting a fair deal.

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
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What is direct cremation?

Posted by Mike 
· June 16, 2020 

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
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Get the facts on cremation.

Posted by Mike 
· June 13, 2020 

This brief article shares facts about the cremation process.  Most bodies that are cremated are placed in something combustible.  Typical cremation containers include heavy cardboard trays, cardboard or wood caskets, or canvas body bags.

Only 15 percent of cremations include the use of a casket.  This means nearly 85 percent of cremations take place using a less expensive cardboard container or canvas bag.

Cremation process

The typical cremation process takes somewhere between one and two hours to complete.  The actual time varies in proportion to the size of the deceased, with larger bodies taking slightly longer to cremate.

Cremation heats the body and container at a high enough temperature to reduce all contents to cremains.  “Cremains” is the technical term for “ashes.”  A normal adult body yields between five and seven pounds of cremains, enough to fill a 12″X 4″ container.

Cremains are generally gray in color and have a consistency similar to playground sand or fine gravel.  From an environmental standpoint, cremains are sterile and non-polluting.

Most funeral homes return cremated remains in a small cardboard box fitted with a plastic-bag liner.  Sometimes the funeral home will stamp the word “temporary” on the box in an effort to sell the family a more permanent – and expensive – urn.  However, you do not need to purchase an urn because any container, including the simple cardboard box, is sufficient for storage purposes.

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
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How to Compare Funeral Prices

Posted by Mike 
· June 10, 2020 

Today, with the average funeral cost nearing $8,300 for a traditional burial, the death of a loved one is a huge financial burden. This means finding and choosing the correct funeral home is very important.  Since many people are often distraught and emotionally drained when a loved on passes, consumers don’t have the time or energy  to spend copious hours comparing funeral homes and services.  Luckily, there is a site that can aid you in finding the right funeral home quickly and easily online.

Parting.com helps you easily compare funeral homes online for free.  This is the most comprehensive resource available for comparing prices, viewing photographs, and reading reviews of all the funeral homes in the United States.

Compare_Funeral_Home_Prices__Photos__and_Reviews___Parting

Funerals are often as unique as the people whose life they are celebrating, but Parting has been able to give consumers the ability to look at relative prices of funeral homes available in the area.  This is the transparency we should expect to see in every business, and this is a great start for the funeral industry.

Company Information

Parting was started by 3 guys who have no experience in the funeral industry.  Now that might seem a little strange, but it actually makes a lot of sense.  The funeral industry has been functioning the same way for years.  There hasn’t been an overhaul or an attempt to adapt to the internet for a long time, which means that there has been plenty of time for the industry to adapt.  Maybe it takes a few people from outside the industry to give it a fresh set of eyes to see how they can once again provide for their customers in the best way they can.

If you are looking for funeral services, Parting.com is a great place to start

Categories : Funeral Planning Guidance, Tips to Lower Funeral Costs
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How to plan an affordable funeral.

Posted by Mike 
· June 7, 2020 

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
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Consider more affordable funeral suppliers.

Posted by Mike 
· June 4, 2020 

Sometimes it makes more sense to buy certain funeral items from someone other than the funeral home handling your service.  These other suppliers usually offer more reasonable prices than the typical funeral home.

Make an effort to locate other sources that sell funeral merchandise

See what they charge for the items you’re thinking about buying.  Even if you don’t buy from someone else, just knowing that less-expensive options exist can often get your funeral home to give you a big discount to remain competitive.

Savvy families do this all the time

They end up saving hundreds – and sometimes thousands – of dollars on caskets, urns, and headstones.

I give my clients a simple chart that shows them where to find various merchants that may be worth considering.  I also give them a handy “grade sheet” that compares each of the popular Internet suppliers of funeral merchandise.  This grade sheet makes it easy to locate lower-priced merchants and determine how the competition stacks up in terms of prices, selection, and quality.

When you use this information you’ll be able to make sure you get a GREAT deal on everything you are forced to buy.

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.

 

 

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