Eight Great Funeral Planning Tips
Funeral planning is both stressful and emotional. It is difficult to grieve while preparing for a funeral. Here are 8 tips to help with planning a funeral so you can preserve your sanity during a difficult period.
Pre-plan – Talking about funeral planning and envisaging it can remove a huge burden off your family when you pass away. Having an idea of how you want things done can be a huge relief. It will also leave your family time to grieve, needing only to put the pre-arranged plans into action.
Take out a funeral plan – A good funeral plan will pay out a lump sum within 48 hours of your death. This pay-out will provide your family with the finances on hand to give you the send-off they feel you deserve. Always use a well known, reputable funeral home. You don’t want to pay your monthly premiums into a company that is likely to go bankrupt when you need them. Make your funeral wishes known. If you don’t like the idea of a funeral plan, open a special savings account where you can make regular deposits towards the cost of the funeral. Getting funeral cover is your first step in successful funeral planning.
Compare – Where are you planning on holding the funeral? Prices vary significantly between dorp towns and cites. It pays to shop around and find the funeral home with the most affordable but good services.
Think of the coffin you’d like – Caskets and coffins are expensive items. The funeral house you choose will have a variety on display, and will help you make the right choice. You can also shop for a coffin online. This may be a cheaper option.
Don’t be pressured into buying a sealer casket, one with a protective gasket, thinking it will preserve the body. This is an expensive exercise which is both dangerous and dishonest. A plain pine coffin is another option. They are readily available as well as eco-friendly coffins. These are much cheaper than the regular coffins.
More Funeral Planning Tips
Funeral Packages – Most funeral houses offer special funeral packages at discounted rates. Ask for prices on the individual items in the package. Often you are paying for services you do not need or want such as funeral planning when you could do it yourself.
Keep Things Simple – Keep things as natural as possible. You don’t want to put on an extravagant show that depicts nothing of the life your loved one lived. Remember, this is not what you want, but what the deceased would’ve wanted. Don’t make decisions emotionally, and then overspend. Don’t feel pressurized into buying or doing things unnecessarily, based on what other people might think or say. In funeral planning go with what you’re comfortable with.
After the Ceremony
Burial or Memorial Service – Personalise the service as much as you like. You are honouring and remembering the life of a loved one. A unique life that you all want to remember. Did your next of kin want to be buried or cremated? Would they have preferred a Christian – or humanist service? Will there be music, a eulogy, flowers? Get answers well ahead of the funeral.
Refreshments and the After-Party – Having light refreshments after the service is a nice way to thank the people who came. Some people took the effort to come from far. Don’t just write off refreshments as an expense. Food can be a comfort and a lighthearted way to ease you into a life without your loved one.
Whether you spend a little on the funeral or a lot, you will love and miss the person exactly the same. Did the deceased have a funeral plan? Whether they did or didn’t, let it be a lesson to you that with a funeral plan, the actual organising of a funeral can be wonderfully carefree.
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All info was correct at time of publishing