What does a simple funeral cost in your area?

[Jayne]

Are simple funerals costly in your area?  Have you pre-paid yours?

My mother and I and my handicapped brother are in a new [not literally new] house and have been for two years.  After finally selling her old house and my house, we wanted to pre-pay our funerals as we were surprised at what my dad's simple funeral cost.

I went with the cheapest and basic service and cheapest casket.  It's pointless to pay for an expensive "box" that's just going to be in the ground.  I was going to be cremated as that has been my plan for decades.  BUT, cremation is more expensive here.  I was really disappointed in that - about $1,500 more than the basic package.

People make expensive and emotional decisions when someone dies and want to honor them and they over pay and include services that just aren't necessary.

Anyway, I paid for the most cheapest casket [$2,500 - a white one with a Bible and praying hands on it] and took the cheapest basic service.

All that includes:  picking up/sheltering the body, embalming, getting the body ready for the casket, visitation/viewing,  the pastor, casket flowers, obituary in the paper, securing permits, official copies of the death certificate [we ordered 10 for my dad, but only ended up using 8], cemetery services [digging the grave, covering the grave, setting up the tent, chairs, et.al], the hearse and driver, and whatever else.

Also, there's a lot of people to pay for all of that.

This basic package was about $9,800.

My advice if you don't have burial insurance and if you have no clue what a funeral costs in your area is to check it out.  

I feel good about pre-paying as costs continue to rise annually and I have no burial insurance.  I'm just glad we had the money as we sold those two houses.  If we hadn't - I just don't know.

 

Edited August 24, 2019 by Jayne

[unworthyservant]

1 minute ago, Jayne said:

Are simple funerals costly in your area?  Have you pre-paid yours?

My mother and I and my handicapped brother are in a new [not literally new] house and have been for two years.  After finally selling her old house and my house, we wanted to pre-pay our funerals as we were surprised at what my dad's simple funeral cost.

I went with the cheapest and basic service and cheapest casket.  It's pointless to pay for an expensive "box" that's just going to be in the ground.  I was going to be cremated as that has been my plan for decades.  BUT, cremation is more expensive here.  I was really disappointed in that - about $1,500 more than the basic package.

People make expensive and emotional decisions when someone dies and want to honor them and they over pay and include services that just aren't necessary.

Anyway, I paid for the most cheapest casket [$2.500 - a white one with a Bible and praying hands on it] and took the cheapest basic service.

All that includes:  picking up/sheltering the body, embalming, getting the body ready for the casket, visitation/viewing,  the pastor, casket flowers, obituary in the paper, securing permits, official copies of the death certificate [we ordered 10 for my dad, but only ended up using 8], cemetery services [digging the grave, covering the grave, setting up the tent, chairs, et.al], the hearse and driver, and whatever else.

This basic package was about $9,800.

My advice if you don't have burial insurance and if you have no clue what a funeral costs in your area is to check it out.  

I feel good about pre-paying as costs continue to rise annually and I have no burial insurance.  I'm just glad we had the money as we sold those two houses.  If we hadn't - I just don't know.

 

I can get cremated for around $2000 including a little urn (which you have to pay for whether you want it or not) and my intentions are if there's anything left in my estate it will go to the poor. I see no Biblical necessity for a expensive commercial funeral. I believe that whether you're bones are rotting in a desert or in a casket or anywhere your remains may end up, if you're one of God's children you're still going the same place, so just return my body to the ashes, as God will take care of my soul.

When time shall come for my leaving
When I must bid you adieu
Don't spend your money for flowers
Just a rose will do.

I'll go to a beautiful garden
At last when life's work is through.
Don't spend your money for flowers
Just a rose will do.

I'll need no organization
To make a big to-do,
I'll need no fine decorations,
Just a rose will do.

Just have an old-fashioned preacher
To preach the Gospel truth
Don't spend your money for flowers
Just a rose will do.

[Jubilea]

We have pre-paid our funeral expenses, but I don't remember the cost. I want to be buried, and my dh wants to be cremated. We will be buried in the same plot which saved some money. For me, the big reason for pre-paying is to save emotional stress for the survivor. There are so many things to take care of when someone dies, and whatever preparation you can do lightens the load of those left behind.

[Jayne]

4 minutes ago, Jubilea said:

We have pre-paid our funeral expenses, but I don't remember the cost. I want to be buried, and my dh wants to be cremated. We will be buried in the same plot which saved some money. For me, the big reason for pre-paying is to save emotional stress for the survivor. There are so many things to take care of when someone dies, and whatever preparation you can do lightens the load of those left behind.

I completely agree.

When my dad died, I had no idea of how many people were going to require a death certificate.  When the man at the funeral home asked, "How many death certificates are you going to need?", my mother and I just looked at each and said, "One."

He explained all the people who were going to need one and suggested we purchase 10.  We used 8.

When you are "in the moment" of death of a loved one - the last thing you need to do is be burdened with details.

[bropro]

Mine was around $7.500.00 and I live in the KCMO area. BTW, that was the prepaid plan.

Gary

Edited August 24, 2019 by bropro

[R. Hartono]

54 minutes ago, Jayne said:

Are simple funerals costly in your area?  Have you pre-paid yours?

My mother and I and my handicapped brother are in a new [not literally new] house and have been for two years.  After finally selling her old house and my house, we wanted to pre-pay our funerals as we were surprised at what my dad's simple funeral cost.

I went with the cheapest and basic service and cheapest casket.  It's pointless to pay for an expensive "box" that's just going to be in the ground.  I was going to be cremated as that has been my plan for decades.  BUT, cremation is more expensive here.  I was really disappointed in that - about $1,500 more than the basic package.

People make expensive and emotional decisions when someone dies and want to honor them and they over pay and include services that just aren't necessary.

Anyway, I paid for the most cheapest casket [$2,500 - a white one with a Bible and praying hands on it] and took the cheapest basic service.

All that includes:  picking up/sheltering the body, embalming, getting the body ready for the casket, visitation/viewing,  the pastor, casket flowers, obituary in the paper, securing permits, official copies of the death certificate [we ordered 10 for my dad, but only ended up using 8], cemetery services [digging the grave, covering the grave, setting up the tent, chairs, et.al], the hearse and driver, and whatever else.

Also, there's a lot of people to pay for all of that.

Funeral charge is very expensive indeed, some poor people cannot even pay the ambulance n take the body whatever means.

[BeauJangles]

59 minutes ago, Jayne said:

People make expensive and emotional decisions when someone dies and want to honor them and they over pay and include services that just aren't necessary.

Anyway, I paid for the most cheapest casket [$2,500 - a white one with a Bible and praying hands on it] and took the cheapest basic service.

All that includes:  picking up/sheltering the body, embalming, getting the body ready for the casket, visitation/viewing,  the pastor, casket flowers, obituary in the paper, securing permits, official copies of the death certificate [we ordered 10 for my dad, but only ended up using 8], cemetery services [digging the grave, covering the grave, setting up the tent, chairs, et.al], the hearse and driver, and whatever else.

Also, there's a lot of people to pay for all of that.

This basic package was about $9,800.

My advice if you don't have burial insurance and if you have no clue what a funeral costs in your area is to check it out.  

It seems like a lot of money to me, but that certainly includes many detailed services to perform. We touched on this briefly in another thread on epitaphs. Our family though years split apart, (mom and dad) opted for cremation. It is cost effective here, and is about a couple thousand dollars.

In the conclusion of funeral duties, they give the remains back to survivors in a upright rectangular sealed plastic box, and inside a velvetine bag w/drawstrings. Laws for dispersion in California have lessened quite a bit, and it's up to the family to either house at home, or disperse where they choose.

Just the other day in our local paper, the city cemetery put in an article saying on one day they'd have some common plot of land unearthed, and for $300, they would take care of those who've had not yet followed through with either inurnment or dispersion plans. Anyway, it was unanimous that funerals and all the necessary procedures were for surviving members. We as humans seem to have our sentiments.  

[Jayne]

57 minutes ago, naominash said:

What is a cost effective solution if you can't afford either one?

I suppose you could make monthly payments and when you pass, your family would have to finish paying.

Or, look for legal ways in your state to lower those costs.  If you had your own land, maybe your state would allow you to bury family members there or if you knew someone, they could make a casket for you out of wood.

Every state is different on what they will allow.  But it's worth checking into.

 

[BeauJangles]

7 hours ago, naominash said:

What is a cost effective solution if you can't afford either one?

I found this info for whatever it's worth. It does seem a bit pricey for an age expectancy of 85. 

Cost of Final Expense & Burial Insurance [Prices & Quotes ...

https://choicemutual.com/burial-insurance-costs-age

Jul 18, 2019 · Average Burial Insurance Costs The average cost of a burial insurance policy is approximately $50 per month, and the most common face amount purchased is $10,000. Your specific premium might be higher or lower depending on your age, …

[Neighbor]

11 hours ago, Jayne said:

Are simple funerals costly in your area?  Have you pre-paid yours?

 

Hi, As a former career embalmer funeral director and cemeterian ( sales manager) for a USA funeral combine. I suggest that there really is no inexpensive funeral director nor cemetery service today ($9,000 to $30,000). It is one of the reasons I left the industry years ago. The industry had been  about service first and yes product too, but primarily service.  USA federal government agencythe  FTC changed all that, or forced the change to happen.

I started with a firm that offered complete funeral with a casket for $120 and a burial complete for $120 in southern California. Typical combined services  might cost2,000 to $4,000. 

But then the FTC stepped in claimed funerals were expensive, and Ralph Nadar jumped on the bandwagon for his own profit. Next thing we knew we had to have six page contracts, keep records of actual pass through costs,  and could not discount  prices to the needy thanks to Richard Nixon's wage and price control anti inflation bills. We found our cost to do business just zoomed. Our service fees tripled immediately. Small firms could not compete couldn't keep up with the demands of paperwork, and sold out to one of two newly formed conglomerates. And that was that, end of an industry as it had been known. The whole industry soon became  an operation for stock holders at two publicly traded stock corportions.  The stocks were speculated on by many non funeral industry individals just stock investors. They soon bought up cemeteries,  using their stock shares  as money, and then raided the endowment care funds of each and raised costs to end users. plus they bought themajor casket manufacturers and even the funeral chemical supply companies, and then went international. They are marketers. Why today there are not even whole caskets on display at a funeral home, just corner chunks of ones usually four different packages from$8,000 to $30,000 dollars. It is insanity but it is reality too. It is all under a central marketing program to sell product to raise the stock value of the investors.

So, many of us became companies that specialize in cremation only, and you arrange your own services with  no funeral director and often no cemetery involved. Cost $850, but if you call one of the funeral directors of the one large conglomerate than  it is $3,000 minimum.

I was a funeral director and cemeterian for 20 years but I have not used a fneral hom enor cemetery for any of the funeral arrangements i have made. And no I would not prepay for any plan, for even the US government cheats on those. They do not pay the VA benefit of $250  like they used to for all war time vets. Seems it is now paid only if one dies in a VA facility is the newer interpretation of the benefit as I found out), and they also changed the Social Security death benefit to make it near impossible for anyone for a surving spouse to gain it ( and watch out if the widow was getting SSI  and it turns out they had gained some assets. If they did the SS is not going to pay the death benefit). No spouse no benefit. so most all of those prepayed packages that relied of figuring  at least $550 in government funding- nope not happening. Also any funds set aside for funeral if refundable, or if they can be cashed in, are assets counted against the person that may be later on seeking SSI benefits. So watch out for that too.