Budget Funeral Planning - Save Money While You Give Your Loved One the Best Funeral by Zoltan Zongora
An average funeral can cost a good few thousands of dollars, which is quite a lot when you are living frugally. Of course we all want to give the respect and dignity that we can offer to the deceased and there are ways to do it in a way that it won't cripple our finances for the next few years. Funeral costs don't have to break anyone's bank.
It is very important to plan the funeral ahead. You need to window shop for the best prices on the casket, on the funeral arrangements, on the embalming, on the service, the grave-site and various other related costs. While you can ask the funeral director, he should not be your only source of information. If the deceased person was a war veteran, the US Department of Defense will help with some costs, for example they can provide a gravestone or a headstone marker to honor the veteran.
Also it is useful to shop online. While you can find good prices at the local funeral homes, you will find online a great variety of sources and prices. For example you could go directly to the manufacturer's website and check for prices. They usually have lower prices as you go directly to the source. You could achieve savings as high as 50-60% versus going locally.
For the service, you can go to your local funeral home and ask for prices but churches also offer funeral services, so you should consult wit your local priest. In some countries, such as Greece, Cyprus and other religious countries, it is a tradition to hold services at the church and one wouldn't even think of going to a profit organization such as a funeral home.
An important aspect of any funeral planning is buying a casket. While some people consider buying the most expensive one (think of the comparison with buying a luxurious car), you don't really have to buy the latest model. A casket is not that much for the departed one (they are on other planes by now) but it is more for those who are still around and want to see a beautiful procession. Don't let your ego get in the way. In this case the most expensive is not really that useful for the dead.
It is indeed easy to get carried away with planning the best funeral and many people found themselves in debt for many years to come because of the high costs. A funeral doesn't necessarily need to be that expensive and planning a budget one is often times necessary and even the deceased one would approve.
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Flowers for funeral are an important aspect of planning any funeral. Casket sprays are necessary for embellishing the casket and while it is easy to go overboard, at times a simple spray of while lilies and red roses is enough to show the deep respect to the memory of the departed one.
