The choices seem bewildering when you go out to plan a funeral, but before you sign up for any unnecessary and expensive funeral costs, take a moment to sit down and think:
- You are in a vulnerable state of mind and probably susceptible to the sharks out there who want to take as much from your bank account as they can;
- A funeral service is not a charity. First and foremost, it’s a business and survives or falls by the amount of sales stacked up each year;
- You want to do the ‘right’ thing by your loved one – but that doesn’t extend to lining someone else’s pockets with unnecessary and expensive add-ons to the basic funeral;
- Right and wrong doesn’t come into the equation – your beliefs and budget should dictate the type of funeral and, to be frank, it’s no one else’s business.
A family affair
Families should discuss funerals as they discuss other financial matters, like weddings, holidays and special events. Planning a funeral together involves everyone and everyone understands their relative’s last wishes when it comes to the fateful day.
How your family decide funeral arrangements is up to them. No religion or belief system says anyone has to spend money that they might not have on a lavish funeral. Don’t worry what other people in the family or neighbors think. They have their own funerals to plan and how they do it is their choice.
Optional extras – Burial or cremation
The choices are simple – burial or cremation. Some religions don’t even have the option – as we discovered, for Jews it’s a burial and cremation for Hindus and Buddhists. The problem comes when you talk to the funeral home or undertaker about the choice of casket, embalming, funeral cars. This part of the funeral is as simple or elaborate and expensive as your care to make it.
Don’t just call on the nearest funeral home – shop around and look at a written quote in detail before you make a decision. Find a list of local funeral businesses in your area from Yellow Pages or a search on Google.
Tip – Organizing a funeral is more than deciding on the ceremony. Don’t forget to leave a detailed list of bank accounts, official documents, computer passwords etc, so your family can easily access your personal and financial affairs
