Unforeseen expenses can easily interrupt your monthly budget to leave you with no money and can do a lot more if are bigger enough. Though, pre-planning for happenings we believe will surely take place, like funeral expenses, can help us bear them appropriately without going out of budget. Getting ready for the funeral expense can be one of the challenging tasks especially when you don’t have an accurate idea about the costs associated with funeral services.
If you have helped one of your friend or family member to arrange a funeral, you will have an idea that basic funeral costs can be hard to pay for. Even if you move to plan a funeral for someone with a budget on hand, some add-ons and optional costs can make you out of money soon. You may be arranging a funeral for one of your family members or friends with a feeling of sorrow and must act quickly even with a little or no experience. That is the reason, we have tried to compile all the funeral services costs together here in this article along with a guide on how to cut the funeral costs down to reduce the financial burden on the family.
Must Haves for a Funeral
Due to the continuous rise in the costs and several things to consider, estimating the funeral costs can be a tricky task to execute. Must haves for funeral like services, casket, vault, embalming, gravesite and so on can cost you much with an average cost of $8000. Expectation of service providers to get paid in full can make the situation worse too. That is the reason, arranging a funeral can be an overwhelming task.
The cost of a funeral services is just as costly than other big spending we make in day to day life. Thankfully, there is aplenty of ways to cut the funeral costs by purchasing a burial insurance policy to meet the costs of funeral effectively without interrupting your financial plan. Once purchased with a suitable plan, such policies are paid out to the beneficiary or funeral home to make sure they are not burdened with the awful funeral costs. Knowing the average costs of funeral services and what each thing associated with funeral costs allow you to plan efficiently. Many well known life insurance providers offer affordable burial insurance policies. Lincoln Heritage, Gerber Life, AARP, and Mutual of Omaha burial insurance products are every popular. Differentiating between must-haves, things that are good to have and things that should be avoided is also a good initiative to save a lot of bucks
Cremation or burial? Which one to choose
Burial can cost you much and cremation is an obvious and less expensive option. Small things like headstone, flowers and transportation can have a huge impact on the final expenses and caskets can get pricey too, to add more bucks in the final costs. Costs associated with the burial are transportation of the remains, a burial plot, and a casket. All these things can add up quickly to make the funeral service expensive. On another hand, cremation during the day time and picking up a cheaper slot can help you reduce the cost. You can opt for early morning or a weekend slot to keep the funeral costs minimum. In case of burials, there is usually a march to the cemetery for the burial of the body when the services are performed at the funeral home.
What about the caskets?
It is one of the most expensive items of funeral and vary extensively in style and price. They usually are sold primarily for their visual appeal. Usually, caskets have been sold by funeral homes, but these days, you can find them on the internet and other showrooms dealing in caskets. It could be the best option to buy one on reasonable rate with a quick order delivery. One should keep an average cost of casket between $2500 to $6000 on the budget plan. When it comes to buying one, it’s important to keep in mind that the core purpose of casket is to provide an honorable way to transfer the body before burial or cremation.
How much does the embalming cost?
Embalming is usually employed when the body will be on display for a viewing during an open casket at the funeral. However, routine embalming is not legally required for every funeral but some of the states require embalming or refrigeration (as an alternate option) if the body is not buried within the specific time period after death.
It is usually done by funeral homes and can cost $300-$700, depending on rates available on the state, the size and condition of the body. If there is no legal requirement in your state, then you can save couple of hundred dollars for other vital things.
What if you opt for flowers?
Arranging a funeral with lots of flowers is one of the best ways to express the sympathy and a long-standing tradition as well. Flowers on funeral not only namely honor the loved ones who has passed away, but also bring coziness to the grieving family.
Buying flowers for a funeral can cost $300 to $500. However, most of the families accept flowers from the funeral attendees as a sign of respect to the beloved one they lost.
How much to wreaths cost?
These are the protuberant floral arrangements are used to display near the casket on a frame. These are available in different designs like crosses, circles and hearts that can be purchased accordingly.
A wreath can cost $100 to $150. They are often sent to the funeral home and may be taken to a gravesite during the funeral. Most of the people want flower sellers to design wreaths with unique designs to add a personalized touch to funeral.
Final Thoughts
There are many other ways to protect your family from financial burden by making the grieving process free from stress and pre planning is one of them. Investing in the life or burial insurance is a best way to cover all final costs associated with the funeral services. In this way, a grieving family is better able to meet the funeral related costs without feeling overwhelmed.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
