Funeral Costs: What You Need to Know

When a loved one dies – a friend or family member – the last thing that the bereaved want to consider is funeral costs. Paying for the interrment of the body is a secondary consideration, though many people do not realize the inherrant costs a funeral imposes.

While it is true that the funeral home is obligated to disclose all costs prior to any decision-making, it is important for people to do their own research. If the deceased has not made any prior arrangements for his or her own funeral, it is up to friends and family to make those decisions. And although grieving should take precedence over monetary considerations, funeral costs can be quite prohibitive.

1. Life Insurance

Make sure to look over the deceased’s life insurance policy carefully to make sure that funeral costs are not covered. If they are, this can mean a much lighter burden for family and friends who would otherwise have had to pay for it themselves.

2. Administration Costs

These are usually the small feels that tend to add up. Costs for embalming, paying the funeral home staff, the chapel, the preparation room and the reception area are all passed down to the family members of the deceased.

3. Transportation

There are many different ways for the casket, the family, the friends and others to travel from the funeral home to the cemetary for interment. Many funeral homes provide limosines, cars and other forms of transportation, but these can all be costly additions to the total funeral price.

4. Casket

Most funeral homes provide a wide variety of caskets from which to choose, ranging from modest to extravagent. Caskets can be purchased in all different types of wood, plus stainless steel, bronze, and copper. Choosing the type of casket should involve both the materials from which the casket is made and the price of the casket.

5. Headstones & Temporary Markers

A temporary marker is what marks the grave site until the marker you’ve chosen can be delivered. Both of these items are relatively expensive, depending upon the type you have chosen. Headstones or grave markers can be elaborate, with statues and other additions to the actual headstone, or they can be simple with only the name of the deceased and the dates of birth and death. It is important to choose a headstone or grave marker that you feel is appropriate, and not what the funeral home advises.

6. Other Costs

Other funeral costs, which are often not considered, include the following:

– Flowers
– Guest Book
– Food & Drink for Reception or Wake
– Cemetary Plot
– Printing Materials (for the obituary, announcements and death certificate)

When deciding on the arrangements for a funeral, the funeral costs should be a factor, even if such a time of tragedy. If necessary, seek the guidance of someone who has done this before, and can steer you in the right direction. Never be afraid to ask for help.