When someone close to you dies, you want to do your best to show your love and respect. But sometimes, you are not financially prepared for the costs of a funeral. In some situations, the deceased wishes may include that the family does not spend extra on the funeral. In either case, you will be hoping to find ways to reduce the cost of the service. Not every funeral has to break the bank. Some funeral directors offer budget packages to help ease the burden, and there are a few other ways to keep some of the costs from getting too high. Here is a brief look at how to reduce funeral costs.
- Search for Low-Cost Funerals: Some funeral services offer affordable packages that help reduce expenses. If you are looking for affordable funerals in Blacktown or the Greater Sydney area, suppliers can be found online. Even with the lower cost packages, respectful and dignified services are more about the love and remembrance of a life lived than the details. Everyone deserves to be honored in their memorial.
- Cremation: All other things being equal, cremation usually is less expensive than burial. There is, of course, no funeral plot to purchase or tombstone to have made up, and those costs alone will be into the thousands. Cremation services can cost less than $2000 in some cases.
- No Viewing Service: There can be several costs for preparing the body for viewing, including makeup, clothing, and casket. You can also choose to have no embalming done. Deciding to skip these elements will reduce some of the funeral expenses. The viewing service is not mandatory; it is simply a cultural tradition, and to be fair, it is uncomfortable for some.
- Shop for a Casket or Urn: In some cases, caskets can be found online that are similar in quality to those you can find at the funeral home. If you find a reasonable deal, you will still have to ensure that the funeral home will accommodate caskets bought elsewhere. There should be no resistance, however, to providing an urn for cremation.
- Hold the Service at a Free Venue: If you know of a venue that will let you hold your service for free, you may do so. Maybe your church or a friend’s home. There still will be charges for the funeral cars involved.
- Be Resourceful: In some cases, there can be government assistance for funeral costs. The internet will help you find sources for printing order of service and memorial items. You can also find discounts on flowers, and you can make your announcements and thank you cards through printing services. Instead of catering, you can have friends help supply food for the memorial meal after the service, which will be less expensive if only close friends and family attend.
Your history with the deceased and your memories will not be affected by the amount of money it costs to provide the service. As long as everything is respectful, you will have done your duty to your loved one. They would likely not want to cause you financial trouble just for appearances.
