Funerals can cost far more than people expect and it’s not uncommon for relatives of the deceased to pay out more than £8,000 for a suitable send-off. With many factors to consider, such as burial fees, flowers, transport and the wake, costs can begin to rise, potentially placing a family under financial pressure at a time of distress.
Fortunately, there are several ways to reduce funeral costs and keep expenses to a manageable level. Here we take a look at five of the best ways to limit the amount of money you spend on a funeral.
Burial and cremation fees
Burial and cremation fees can often prove one of the most expensive aspects of a funeral. This is particularly true of inner city areas where space is at a premium. Alternatives to keeping costs down can include choosing natural burial or direct cremation.
A natural burial involves a burial in a protected area of natural beauty in which the deceased are returned to the earth in as natural a way as possible. It’s often cheaper and is generally considered to be much better for the environment.
Similarly, you could decide on a direct cremation. This takes place outside of crematorium peak hours and mourners are not permitted to be present at the cremation. The ashes are returned to the family following the service. This is far cheaper than classic burial or cremation options and any money you do save can be put to good use remembering the deceased through a suitable memorial service or wake.
Transport
It’s often considered traditional to have limousines and hearses leading the way to the funeral service. However, this is a matter of personal preference and you can certainly reduce funeral costs by cutting back when it comes to transport.
Depending on where the service and memorial take place, family can make their own way, allowing money to be spent in more essential areas. It can be the case that funeral directors will exert a little pressure in an effort to persuade you that optional extras like transport are essential to a proper funeral. However, the choice should be left in your hands to decide what you want and don’t want for the funeral, and remember that your choice in this matter is final.
The wake
If you want to hold a wake or memorial service after the funeral, there’s a number of ways you can cut costs. There’s no right or wrong way to hold a wake, so do what feels right to you and try to plan within your means.
Rather than hiring a large venue, the wake can be held at the home of the deceased or at the home of a family member. Likewise, responsibility for food can be shared between all guests, with everyone bringing a plate to share.
Crowdfunding
A more modern way of reducing funeral costs is through the use of crowdfunding. Rather than one family member or one part of the family shouldering all the financial responsibility, those that knew the deceased can all donate to help cover expenses.
This can be a fantastic way to cover the cost of a funeral and bring people together to remember the deceased. When everyone has invested something, no matter how little, there is often a sense of greater involvement in the proceedings among all present. This also makes it possible for family and friends living abroad to feel involved and to contribute to the funeral.
If you like, you can crowdfund the funeral using a Beyond obituary. It’s more than just a crowdfunding platform: each memorial page allows friends and family from all over the world to share photos, videos and stories as well as money towards the funeral. You can also use it to share funeral arrangements and get RSVPs from guests, which can help you budget wisely.
Use a comparison site
Finally, one of the best ways to reduce funeral costs is by using a price comparison site like Beyond. You can save time and money and this can greatly simplify the process of planning and booking a funeral, allowing you to take full control of the funeral you’re looking to arrange.
Not only does Beyond allow you to choose from a wide variety of funeral directors, it provides user reviews and lists prices, giving you the opportunity to tailor the funeral to your exact specifications while offering the best prices available.
Click here for full info on how comparing funeral directors through our platform works.
Plan ahead
If you have the luxury of time before you or a loved one pass, you may wish to consider taking out a funeral plan.
Take out a repayment plan
Although a finance or repayment plan actually increases the final cost of your funeral, many find that it is more manageable to pay off their funeral costs over the course of a year or two, rather than paying it all up front. When you take out funeral finance you can manage your repayments, and if you are waiting for your inheritance to come through, funeral finance can make a lot of sense.