This document provides 10 tips for saving money on funerals: 1. Plan ahead by deciding on burial or cremation preferences and sharing these wishes with family to avoid expensive last-minute decisions. 2. Compare packages and pricing from multiple funeral homes to find the most affordable options. 3. Shop for caskets, urns, and other products online or from other vendors and bring your own to save thousands in costs. 4. Choose immediate burial or direct cremation for significant savings by avoiding embalming and viewing. 5. Donate your body to science to avoid most funeral costs aside from transporting the remains.

1. How to Save Money On a Funeral
One of the most unpleasant things you will probably endure during your lifetime is losing a loved one.
While there is always the frustrating aspect of never meeting again, planning the funeral is even more
tasking. Many people fail to control the process and end up overspending needlessly. But with the right
ways to save money on a funeral, giving your loved one a "decent sendoff" should not put you in debt.
FuneralFide users ask, “How do I keep these funeral costs down?” more than any other question.
Ideally, funerals are now pretty expensive. The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) puts the
median cost of a funeral at between $7,000 and $12,000. Some people spend more than $25,000 on a
funeral. However, you can conveniently bring these costs down to about $2,000 with the right planning
strategies.
We present you with ten tips on cutting down on funeral spending.
10 Ways to Save Money On a Funeral
While about two-thirds of Americans understand the importance of funeral prearrangements, many
people do not consider preplanning a priority. Besides, those who look at it as a priority claim prepaying
is too costly. So, we are always most likely planning and shopping for the funerals of our kith, kin, and
not ours.
Ladies and gentlemen, saving money on a funeral are about proper planning, making the right decisions,
and spending wisely. The following tips will come in handy;
1. Think Ahead
One of the biggest mistakes that people make is failing to think ahead. What if we planned our funerals
well before our time? Undoubtedly, this is a perfect way of cushioning our friends and relatives from the
frustrating task of planning our funerals.
Do you prefer a burial or a cremation, and where do you want these to happen? What about
embalming, visitations, viewings, and memorials? Thinking about these beforehand saves your family
the agony of shopping with emotions. Write these down and share them with your relatives.
Avoid ambiguous words like “something simple” and delve deeper into the specifics. A little explanation
prevents them from spending on what you do not want or missing what you would want.
Besides, you can always ask close family members what they want for their funerals. Yes. It sounds
pretty weird and uncomfortable, but it is a way of exploring their options and saving you from the
guesswork.

2. 2. Compare End of Life Plans for Various Funeral Homes
Funeral homes now market themselves like every other business. Can you imagine a slogan like, “We
Make You Look Good Because God Hates Ugly?” While it sounds pretty reassuring, this could be your
means to making unnecessary expenses.
The trick that will ensure that you save considerable amounts of money on funeral costs is to compare
what different funeral homes offer. Traditionally, people opt for a funeral home because it is closer to
home. But if you don’t consider viewing in your plans, it would be needless to consider a nearby home
based on that alone.
Also, many people choose funeral homes upon recommendation from friends or relatives. Well, this,
too, should not be the case. Instead, compare prices of various afterlife homes to find out what prices
are fairer. You may need to consider homes from nearby towns if you find them less costly.
We are in the digital error where shopping is online. Since many funeral homes do not provide a
detailed breakdown of costings on their websites, I cannot advise you to shop for a funeral home online.
Shopping will involve some legwork or a phone call at the bare minimum.
And when you visit or call, ask the management to provide you with a list of their services. You may also
need a breakdown of their costs. Evaluate the packages and choose what works for you.
3. Shop Around and Buy Online
Many people do not consider buying funeral products a form of shopping. It is, and you should treat the
process like shopping for any other household or commercial items. Of course, many funeral homes
market their products alongside their services. But you can acquire items such as caskets, hearse, urn,
and vaults from elsewhere if costs are better.
Online shopping makes finding high-quality items cheaper and more convenient.
For example, ranging from $2,000 to $1,2000 on average, caskets can cost your life savings. Phrases like
"Our Coffins Are the Best, You Will Die to Have One" are only sales gimmicks. You can outsource less
expensive options from anywhere. Indeed, the federal law mandates funeral homes to accept any
caskets presented by consumers.
You can also opt for minimum sealers or caskets without sealers to save costs.
4. Immediate Burial or Direct Cremation
Direct cremation or immediate burial are ways of saving on funeral costs. Interestingly, according to
federal law, every funeral home must have these services on its price list. One of the advantages of
using direct cremation is that you can use any funeral home, including those that are thousands of miles
away.
Funeral homes will conveniently deliver or mail you the cremains of your loved ones. Thus, you end up
saving on transporting the body. Again, cemetery space for cremated remains is less expensive than that
for body burials.

3. Direct burial demands are similar to those of the Baha’i, Muslim, or Jewish traditions. A body is buried
immediately after death, but you can opt for a simple, less costly graveyard service.
You do not need embalming and viewing with either immediate cremation or direct burials. Many
funeral homes always agree to this, and you will save considerably.
5. Donate to Science
Planning a funeral is both messy and costly. And one of the simplest ways to get out of the nightmare is
donating the body to science. You will end up saving costs as you contribute to research and medical
training.
Many universities and medical schools will only require you to cover transportation to the institution.
Indeed, this is much less than what you would spend on a full-blown funeral program. And in two years
of use, the medical institution sends you the body's cremation remains. Interestingly, the anatomical
donation program covers both incineration and transportation costs.
While it may still be sensible to work with a funeral home for any of these options, it is not compulsory.
6. Do Not Consider Embalming
The law does not compel you to consider embalming. Yet, the service will take a considerable amount of
bucks from your pocket.
The procedure is only useful if you will have a long duration between the time of death and viewing. If
you do not need viewing, you can skip this and plan your burial or funeral program within two days of
demise.
Many states also allow refrigeration as an alternative to embalming, which is cheaper.
7. Conduct A Virtual Service
The novel coronavirus is still here with us, and most containment measures will remain. So, social
distancing requirements will not ease anytime soon. Why not consider going virtual to avoid putting all
the prospective mourners through unnecessary traveling expenses and COVID-19 risks?
Assuming you expect 100 people at a funeral, you will need a large venue to maintain the 6-feet social
distance requirement. Since such a venue would be costly, you can go virtual. Many funeral homes now
have virtual services in their packages. You can always inquire. Going virtual may also include digital
obituaries instead of expensive printouts.
With the right technology and digital equipment, you can stream the funeral service to millions of
mourners worldwide. Besides, most platforms are pretty safe and have secure logins.

4. 8. Plan A Memorial Service
Memorial services can happen without bodies. A memorial service instead of a funeral service
eliminates the pressure. It saves you money on fancy caskets, embalming, and refrigeration. Besides,
there is are no costs for transporting the body to a religious institution, a funeral home, or the gravesite.
And if you value goodbyes and private visitations, these can happen at the place of death or home. And
you can have them before you invite a funeral director.
There is no pressure of embalming or refrigerating the body. Thus, you can plan a formal or informal
memorial service at home, in a religious institution, community center, club, or park. These venues are
either unrestricted or pretty affordable. Moreover, you do not need to hire any professional funeral
home staff.
9. Do Not Use a Vault
Many cemeteries require vaults. However, there is no state law or federal law that commits you to have
one. Check around your neighborhood, neighboring towns, or cities for funeral homes that will not
compel you to purchase vaults.
Surprisingly, vaults cost between a few hundred dollars to one thousand or so. This is a good amount of
money to save from a funeral kitty. You can use a grave liner instead of a vault.
And if you are for incineration, remember to carry your urn. Doing this, too, will cut down some costs.
10. Stick to Your Plan
Impulse shopping is prevalent among many people. You will probably end up here since you may not be
in the mood to think. While this is pretty understandable during the heat of things, it is a mistake you
should avoid. When you shop with emotions, the chances are that you will end up overspending or
buying what you do not need.
Always shop in the companion of a sensible friend who will help you stick to your plans. Together, you
can make better decisions and get rid of what you do not need.
Conclusion
Planning a funeral is both difficult and costly. You should not fall into the traps of funeral homes and
funeral directors and end up spending unimaginable amounts. While we are business people who need
to get paid for our services, some of us believe that clients should not spend beyond their means.
Explore your options properly as a funeral consumer and determine the kind of funeral you want for
yourself, kith, or kin. All your options should meet the needs of your family and friends. Finally, shop
around for a fair funeral home or an honest and understanding funeral director to coordinate the
process. Everyone deserves care and dignity even without breaking the bank.