How to Plan an Inexpensive Funeral

Funerals often don’t come cheap when you factor in all the costs involved, including the service, reception, casket, burial site and funeral-home fee. However, you can plan for an inexpensive funeral for yourself or your loved ones.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Borrowed decorations
• Simple reception snacks
• Microphone system
• Borrowed flowers
• Pictures

Plan in Advance

1. Buy adjoining burial sites ahead of time for yourself and your immediate family in the same cemetery.

2. Set up a funeral fund for you and your family through your bank, a funeral home or a memorial society in which money is put away every month, and which can be tapped into in the event of someone’s death.

3. Have a family meeting in which you can all discuss simple, inexpensive ways that surviving family members can celebrate your lives when each of you passes on.

4. Choose a venue you don’t have to pay for or where the rental fee is very low. Many churches won’t charge you (although some do), especially if it’s the deceased’s home church. You could also plan an outdoor funeral, depending on the season and weather.

5. Have family members and friends participate in the service as speakers, readers, singers and musicians, rather than hiring professionals.

6. Have family and friends volunteer to come up with photographs and displays and set them up.

7. Borrow decorations and silk flowers.

8. Consider a simple graveside ceremony in lieu of a formal funeral.

Reduce Burial Costs

9. Do some casket shopping. Don’t think you need to find the “very best” one. Find something that will fit the deceased, that suits his or her style and that fits within your budget.

10. Choose the kind of casket you would like for your own funeral ahead of time and let your family or your funeral director know.

11. Consider getting cremated in lieu of a having a traditional funeral and burial. This can cut costs and help keep the grieving and mourning process simple.

Tips & Warnings

• Don’t plan anything fancy for the reception. Keep it simple, serving some snacks and beverages, playing soft music in the background and having an open-mic session.
• Think “snacks” for the reception rather than a meal. Sandwiches and desserts are popular choices. Serve coffee and tea or juice.
• Find creative ways to honor a loved one’s memory rather than spending all your money on a fancy, formal funeral that may not even be what the deceased wanted.
• Make sure to honor any wishes of the deceased.