Monday, April 7, 2014

Best Ways to Save on a Funeral Service

Holding a funeral service in honor of a friend or a family member who has died is a tradition which a lot of people from all over the world would practice. This practice has long been known as a very emotional occasion, especially for the grieving family.

While there are some people who will plan their funeral in advance, not a lot of people are actually doing this. Of course, nobody wants to deal with the fact that someday they will have to say goodbye to their loved ones forever. But those who are suffering from life threatening diseases and those who are given only a few months or years to live would often choose to prepare their funeral service in advance. In fact, some of them have created their own funeral mass program and will even shoulder the cost that comes with it.

Preparing for a funeral service is not an easy task and you could be faced with so many financial obligations. A funeral service is indeed expensive. As a matter of fact, the average cost of funeral services in the UK is now £5,000. But the great news is that there are actually a lot of ways on how you can save on the cost of a funeral service. So if you are on a tight budget yet would still want to give the best for your dearly departed, then you better read these tips now.

Opt for a Cremation Service

Cremation is practiced by millions of people all over the world for religious purposes. For a Christian funeral service, cremation is not often practiced, but you are free to choose this method if you want to and most especially if the deceased has specifically requested for this.

Cremation is cheaper than burials. So if your dearly departed has not requested for a burial service while he is still alive, then you can opt for a cremation service. The reason why this is cheaper is because there is no longer a need for a burial lot as well as an expensive casket.

Direct cremations will require cremating the body shortly after the death of a loved one so there is no longer a need for embalming which is another costly service. After the cremation, the ashes will be placed in an urn or you can choose to scatter it in an area requested by the deceased. Therefore, there will no longer be any funeral service and you do not have to spend for memorial service invitations since there won’t be any viewings and visitations involved.  But this option will not work if your family is very traditional and would want to stick with the usual norm of having a funeral service.

Choose a Direct Burial Option or Green Funeral Service

Just like with direct cremation, the concept of direct burial is pretty much the same, wherein the burial is done right after a loved one’s death. Other religions would practice this, such as Islam. With this method, there will no longer be a need for embalming so you can save a lot of money.

Also, viewings and visitations are no longer involved although a memorial service may be needed, thus, you still would have to send out some memorial service invitation cards. In general, a simple burial container is being used for the direct burial option so there is no need to spend for expensive caskets.

Another option is the green or the natural funeral. This is another alternative to a typical funeral practice that would incorporate some environment friendly options. This means that there will be no concrete burial vault required, no cremation, and no embalming or body preparation that involves the use of chemicals or formaldehyde products. This method will also make use of biodegradable clothing as well as the use of a cardboard casket or a biodegradable wood.

But then again, this option will not be possible if the deceased is very religious. For example, if the deceased is an Anglican or Methodist, an Anglican/Methodist order of service would still be followed and this means that the body will have to be embalmed for viewing and visitation and for the religious service that will be conducted by a clergy. In this case, a funeral mass program would still be organized and funeral remembrance cards will be sent to friends and relatives, inviting them to take part in the funeral service.

Hold a Funeral Service at Home

These days, a lot of people often hold a funeral service or a memorial service for their dearly departed at a funeral home. This can be a bit costly since you will have to pay for the daily use of the venue.
If you are trying to save on money, why not consider holding the funeral service at home and organize it yourself?  Even if you do not have any knowledge on how a funeral service is planned, there are several resources online that can help you on this. As a matter of fact, you will find a funeral order of service layout online which you can follow as your guide.

Just because you hold the funeral service at your home doesn’t mean that you cannot make it special. Of course, you still can. Log on to the World Wide Web and look for any funeral program designs that can serve as your inspiration for organizing a funeral program for the deceased. You can also ask other family members and friends to help you on this. If you want to make it extra special, create remembrance cards for funerals which you can then distribute to visiting guests. This way, they will still be able to remember the deceased even if he is already gone.

Compare the Cost of Funeral Homes

The services of funeral homes are very much needed when someone dies. They are the ones who will perform the embalming of the body and will provide for the casket. Sometimes, they will provide the venue for the funeral service. But all these come with a fee and it is not that cheap. So before you go on to hire the services of a funeral home, it is important to check out another funeral home. Call them up and ask for a quotation and compare the cost with other funeral parlors.

Of course, choose the one that can give you the best price. There are websites that provide information on the local funeral homes in your area so better check that out. It features reviews, prices, ratings and other information about the funeral home.

It is a good idea to choose the funeral home that provides a package of services, such as funeral service that includes funeral memory/memorial cards, funeral venue, flowers, and other services needed. This will save you a lot of money instead of having to spend separately for the funeral service, invitations, venue, flowers, etc. Of course, they should be able to provide the best services as well and they should be able to attend to your every need.  

There are also those funeral homes that have funeral directors who will be in charge in handling all the necessary services that you need. The director will plan for the memorial service and memorial service invitations. This is a good option for those who are busy and cannot find time to plan the funeral service of their dearly departed.

Take Time to Shop Around for a Casket or Urn

Often, a Christian funeral service and other traditional funerals would require that the deceased be place in a casket. But a casket does not come cheap. It costs a lot depending on the design, materials, size, etc. Therefore, you should take time to shop around for caskets.

Of course, you simply want the best thing for your deceased family member, so check out those elegant looking caskets that do not cost a lot. There are lots of cheap caskets that come with great designs and you can even request for a customized casket if you want, especially if you need to follow a certain theme for the funeral program. It is also a good idea to choose the casket that is suitable to the deceased. For example, if he was fond of a certain color, then the casket should be painted with that color.

For those who opt for a cremation service, an urn is needed to keep the ash. Therefore, you should shop around for urns that will be used for cremation. There are so many stores that sell different kinds of urns in different colors and designs. Just like with shopping for caskets, you should take time to look around and compare prices. A ceramic urn is the most popular and the cheaper variety, but this does not have the most excellent quality so you might want to check out other varieties.

Print the Program and Invitations

People are used to buying premade funeral invitations or ordering them from printing companies, without knowing that they can actually print their own. There are samples of memorial invitation wording online which you can copy and print on a special type of paper and then place it inside an envelope to be sent out to guests inviting them for a viewing and visitation or for the funeral service.

There are even in memoriam card templates that you can find online and you can use this in preparing for in memoriam cards, a card that is written in memory of the deceased person. While there are companies that can print this out for you for a fee, printing them yourself will certainly save you lots of money. Just make it unique and personalized and should have messages that are specifically dedicated to the deceased. A remembrance card template is also available in the World Wide Web, and pretty much everything you need is there.

Skip the Outer Burial Container

The outer burial container is not really required by law so you can just skip that in order to save money. Some cemeteries would require the outer burial containers in order to prevent the graves from sinking to the ground. It often comes in the form of a grave liner and a vault, however, this thing is not really necessary. So if the cemetery where your loved one is to be buried will not require you this, then might as well skip it.
It may not be that easy to look for money saving options when it comes to preparing for the funeral service of a deceased who is so dear to you. Of course, since we consider the person so special, then we just want nothing but the best for him. Yet, in this day and age wherein the economy is tough, it just makes sense to save up on expenses, including the cost of a funeral service.

Looking for ways to cut down on the cost of the funeral service of your loved one does not really mean that you do not give them importance. You can still come up with a special funeral service for your dearly departed without spending a good amount of money. All you need is to research well enough.
The World Wide Web is filled with so many resources that can help you in the planning and preparation of the funeral program. There is a sample funeral order of service which can serve as your guide in preparing the program for the funeral.

Of course, you also need to send out some invitations to friends and relatives. With this, you can refer to the samples of memorial service invitation cards. And in order to give honor to the deceased, you must also prepare in memoriam cards.  


Honoring your loved one who just passed away is not about the amount of money that you will spend for the funeral service. It is certainly the thought that matters and the effort that you put into it. If you are on a tight budget, your loved one will understand this and he will not make you feel guilty for not spending lavishly for his funeral service.

Check out these videos below for some tips on how to save money on a funeral service.



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