Whether you’re saying goodbye to a loved one, or thinking about when your family might have to say goodbye to you, there’s likely to be one thought dominating the topic. That thought is: funerals are expensive. It’s definitely not far from the truth, either. It can cost a lot to put together the service that you want. However, it doesn’t necessarily have to be quite as expensive as you might think. Here are some of the strategies you can use to cut down or handle those funeral costs.
Talk about it ahead of time
Unfortunately, now more than ever we do have to be prepared for the potential loss of loved ones as COVID-19 has proven to be of much greater impact than many of the doubters have thought. As such, it is important to talk about the notion of loss, especially with those who might be at slightly higher risk. That way, people are more inclined to have certain preparations in place that can take care of the costs for those in their lives. A good way to start the conversation is to open up the topic yourself, talking about what you might have done in the event that you are the one that passes before other members of the family. It’s far from a pleasant conversation to have, but it can be an important one.
Have some provisions in place
When it comes to your own funeral, the single best way to make sure that you haven’t left your own family in the lurch when it comes to paying is to pay money forward in their stead. Typically, this means looking at life insurance options from Statefarm.com and similar websites. You pay life insurance every month to cover the funeral and other end-of-life costs so that your family doesn’t have to. It can even be used to ensure that there is a little cash to help take care of the people who might currently rely on you financially. Of course, care must be taken to ensure that the right insurance is taken, offering the level of coverage you need at the price that works for you.
Budget for the whole thing
One of the biggest financial risks when arranging a funeral is not having the money you need to pay for everything. If you don’t have the cash available and there is no insurance payout to take advantage of, then your solution may be to rely on credit to pay it off. However, this will end up costing you more over time due to the interest added to the repayments. There’s nothing inherently wrong with using your credit if you can afford to pay it back, but looking at average funeral cost breakdowns at Lhlic.com, you can prepare a budget so that you can see how much you’re likely to have to put together for all of the costs.
Don’t buy everything from a funeral director
Funeral directors provide a great service, there’s no denying that. When it comes to walking you and your loved ones through the steps of arranging a funeral, there are few that play such a vital role. However, whilst they can be crucial for the services of arranging everything, they can also mark up a lot of the costs that come with them. Online, you can buy everything from urns to coffins to headstones from Memorials.com and other websites, and often the prices might work much more in your favor. If you are considering a funeral director, at least make sure to compare the costs of what they sell alongside their organizing services.
Consider cremation instead of burial
If a loved one wished to buried or you can reasonably intuit that it is what they would have wanted, then it may be worth paying to make sure that their desires are respected. However, if you are the one who is left to pay for things, then it is only right that you decide how much you’re going to pay and for what. While funerals are never cheap, cremation is significantly more cost-effective than a burial. You can still have a perfectly respectable service with a cremation and a lot of people like ot incorporate the scattering of the ashes into it or to keep the urn out of the respect that they have for their loved one.
Do more of it yourself
The more you rely on the professionals, the more you can expect to pay for the privilege. Some things, like the burial and preparation, cannot be done by the average person well. However, when it comes to things like hosting a memorial, feeding the attendees and guests, or even driving a hearse, there is a lot that you can do yourself. You just have to be willing to know what your limits are. Some people like working to take their minds off their grief, but if you do not feel able to handle it, there is nothing wrong with admitting as much and paying instead.
See if there is any available help
In some cases, you may be able to get help with managing the costs of a funeral. For instance, Social Security can help with a cash payout to survivor spouses or children of people who were on Social Security before their death. It’s not enough to cover all of the costs but it can certainly help. The VA can also pay for funeral and burial costs to some extent, so if the loved one being put to rest is a veteran, it’s worth getting in touch with them. Lastly, if you’re thinking about your own farewell, you can decide to donate your body to science, which can reduce the costs entirely down to zero, so you don’t need to worry.
The best way to handle the costs of any funeral is to prepare as much in advance as you can. If that’s not necessarily an available option, then there are still ways to make it less expensive without losing its respectfulness.
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