Why People are Reeling Under the Cost of Funerals?
Why are people faced with high cost of funerals?
- They don’t research and get funeral cover from a trustworthy provider
- They haven’t learned to recognise the many unscrupulous providers in the market
- Expatriation of the body when the person dies outside of South Africa is costly
- Social pressure. There is still the culture with some people that a small intimate funeral is undignified
- Lack of financial planning comes into play too. Make sure you have sufficient funeral insurance that covers all major costs associated with the funeral
Going back to Pauper Funerals?
The soaring cost of funerals sometimes sees people selling off furniture and other goods to pay for a funeral. Those who don’t have any goods left to sell have to resign themselves to a pauper’s funeral.
The cost of a funeral will depend on its size. That involves the number of people attending and the type of funeral it is. Funeral homes and cemeteries update their pricing at the start of the new tax 
year. When they d, it doesn’t look good, and many people have no option but to consider a pauper funeral.
Looking at Funeral Costs
When it comes to funerals, you’d think that for this last event on earth, there would be a reprieve. But that’s not so. Funeral fees have risen well above the current rate of inflation, and where R7 000 could pay for a funeral a few years ago, today it scarcely takes care of the coffin.
The biggest expense when organising a funeral is likely to be the coffin, with some top of the range coffins going for up to R50 000. The small plot of ground you buy for the burial can be anything up to R6 000 and the most modest headstone can cost in the region of R1 500.
There are people who are turning their backs on what has been considered the norm. They are turning their backs on traditional funerals and looking for simpler, more affordable alternatives. Alternative funerals- and eco-friendly coffins made from custom printed cardboard are becoming far more common and go at a fraction of the price of traditional coffins as we know them.
Today’s Prices Locked into Tomorrow’s Funerals
Funeral cover has been designed to help you access a large amount of money in a short amount of time. It grants you the peace of mind that you won’t have left your family in the lurch when it comes to laying on a funeral.
Funeral directors’ costs are rising. One option to save on funeral costs is to pay in advance by buying a pre-paid funeral plan. You pay today’s prices for tomorrow’s funeral. Over the last few years, sales of pre-paid funerals have doubled because people see the value of locking into today’s prices to secure their funeral.
Prevention is Better Than a High Cost of Funerals
Legacy Navigator may well be a full-service management company in America, but in South Africa, we also have dedicated funeral consultants. In fact, South Africa has many excellent funeral homes who will help you to plan and organise a funeral for your beloved one – by paying a reasonable premium each month.
There is no doubt that funeral costs are rising dramatically, as with everything else, but with a little bit of careful planning and research, there are ways to make planning a funeral affordable for you and your loved ones.
These funeral homes will stand by you in your time of need so you can transition a difficult time with ease.
To get a funeral plan quote, please complete and submit the form on this page
All info was correct at time of publishing