Affordable Burial And Cremation

Affordable burial and cremation

These days funerals and cremations can be as unique as the individual. More and more, families are opting for less traditional funeral services in favour of more affordable funeral and cremation services. As ‘traditional’ funerals tend to have all the bells and whistles, the versatility in modern funeral services allows families to arrange a funeral according to their budget avoiding undue financial burden during a time of loss. How can you make a funeral or cremation affordable?

Making A Funeral Affordable

Funerals can vary in complexity and options. Removing options or selecting the most affordable options, is a simple way to reduce the cost of a funeral.

Although flowers are a common association with funerals, you could minimise or not add any flowers beyond those sent from others.

When it comes to a casket, there are many price options available and many are very affordable. Typically, caskets with little decoration and made from less expensive materials are more affordable than highly decorated versions made with expensive materials. This also includes interior materials.

Affordability in the design of a grave can vary dramatically with material used, complexity and size. The grave is one of the best opportunities to save on the expense of a funeral. If the grave location is not important, you may wish to research the cost of plots in multiple local cemeteries as the cost of a plot can vary a lot.

As embalming is not a requirement, for those looking to make a funeral more affordable, this could be an option you choose not to avail of.

Making a Cremation Affordable

Like funerals, cremations can be customized for the individual and/or the budget. Some options you can discuss with your funeral director are:

Direct cremation is the most economical option available to families of the bereaved. Direct cremation provides just the essentials of a cremation. There is no viewing, no visitation and no funeral or memorial service.

A cremation with viewing is the same as a direct cremation but with a viewing of the deceased. This allows the family and (optionally) friends to pay their last respects to the deceased.

A cremation with a memorial service is another options where you can have a memorial service prior to the cremation for family and friends. The memorial service could also be a funeral prior to the cremation.

Viewing of the cremation is another option to consider. This will be a personal choice. Some people want to accompany the deceased through the process of cremation whereas others do not wish to witness the cremation.

Cremations have opportunities to save costs when it comes to urns and keepsakes. Keepsakes are not essential and can be excluded, however, some sort of Urn should be used for the ashes. Again, the cost of an urn is dependent on the material and extent of its decoration. You can discuss your options with your funeral director.

Get Advice To Reduce Costs

Modern funeral and cremation services are similar to weddings in that they are completely customizable so that the service is exactly how the family or the deceased want it. That could be a reflection of the deceased, a religious tradition or a budgetary choice. Either way, your best resource is your funeral home where you can discuss your needs and/or restrictions in your budget.