Pre-Planning Your Funeral Arrangements

The average cost for a funeral is approximately $6,000. Burial costs may add an additional $2,000. Caskets, burial containers, obituary notices, vaults, burial liners, tombstones, funeral flowers, funeral music, brunches, cremation or embalming - the list of costs seems to go on and on forever. With over 2 million Americans dying each year, funeral arrangements have become big business, which doesn't necessarily mean that they have your best interests in mind. In a time of mourning, it can be difficult to make the right decisions, but in some cases one can actually preplan arrangements before death occurs.

The casket can be the most expensive part of the traditional family funeral. Loved ones feel especially torn when selecting an appropriate burial container. They wonder if you would have wanted pine or mahogany, they wonder if people will think they are cheap. The truth is, after the funeral, no one will ever see your casket again! Therefore, you may want to look into renting a casket and selecting a less expensive burial container.

If your family is low-key and doesn't care much for appearances, then a simple casket made of plastic or pine will be just fine. You can also choose from fiberglass, wood, plastic or metal, and you can even find them online! If you do purchase your casket online, then be aware that federal regulations state that funeral homes cannot charge you extra for supplying your own casket.

Instead, you may choose the direct cremation option (which runs from $300 - $600). If direct cremation sounds appropriate to you, then you'll only pay for the funeral director's consultation, a non-metal body container, hearse fees for crematorium transport, and an urn or container for the ashes. Some Christians desire burial of the ashes, in which case you'll need to buy a grave site, marker and hardier container. Even so, this option is generally cheaper, though it doesn't allow people that elaborate face-to-face mourning.

If you were a war veteran, be aware that the US Department of Veteran Affairs provides burial allowances or even free burial at one of 125 Veteran Cemeteries. Your family is eligible to receive a Government headstone or marker, flag, a Presidential memorial certificate and possibly a burial allowance for free.

The burial allowance is paid to you if you paid for the funeral of a veteran, who was not dishonorably discharged, and one of the following occurred: the veteran died in action, the veteran was receiving VA pension or compensation at the time, or the veteran died in a VA hospital. In the case of a service-related death, the VA pays up to $2,000 in expenses. In a non-service death, the VA will pay $300 for the funeral arrangements and $300 for burial arrangements.

Think about your family and friends. Do they need to see you one last time before they can say goodbye? Or will a cremation and memorial service suffice? You can even go so far as to plan out your post-funeral arrangements as well. Did you have a favorite breakfast restaurant or buffet? Or perhaps you feel it'd be appropriate for the family to celebrate your life outdoors at one of your favorite parks. These are all things to think about and put in writing now.

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