Funeral planning on a budget

Dear Savvy Senior,

I just turned 75, and have been thinking about getting my funeral and burial arrangements taken care of so my kids won’t have to. What funeral preplanning tips can you offer a senior with little money?

-- Not Dead Yet

Dear Not,

Planning your funeral in advance is a wise move. Not only does it give you time to make a thoughtful decision on the type of service you want, it also allows you to shop around to find a good funeral provider, and it will spare your kids the stress of making these decisions at an emotional time. Here are some tips to help you find affordable services.

Compare Providers

Choosing a quality funeral home is your first step and most important decision in preplanning your funeral. No matter what type of funeral or memorial service you envision for yourself, it’s wise to talk with several funeral homes because prices and services can vary. Websites like funeraldecisions.com and funeralpricefinder.com can help you compare.

When comparing, be sure you take advantage of the “funeral rule.” This is a federal law that requires funeral home directors to provide you with an itemized price list of their products and services so you can choose exactly what you want. Be sure to ask for it.

Money Savers

With the average cost of a “full-service” funeral running around $10,000, there are ways to save that few people know about. For example, if a traditional funeral and burial is what you’re interested in, you can save big – at least 50 percent – by purchasing your casket from a store versus the funeral home, and your funeral provider must accept it. Two good casket shopping resources that may surprise you are Walmart (visit walmart.com and type in “casket” in their search engine) and Costco (costco.com) who offers its members a large variety of caskets and urns at discounted prices.

Another way to cut your funeral bill is to request a “direct burial” or “direct cremation.

Page 1 of 2

1 2 Next