I apologize for my absence. Unfortunately, there was a death in my husband’s family, and I’m the only one that’s ever planned a funeral so my emotional energy was otherwise occupied. Death is very expensive, and while I’m certainly not going to say that funeral homes take advantage of people’s grief, in my experience if you don’t know what to ask for, they’re not always helpful in getting you the complete information.
My husband’s aunt was cremated. The funeral home said their cheapest package was $1900. The family does not have this sort of money and was very concerned. The numbers seemed very high to me, so I sent my mother (aka “money pitbull”) on a research mission.
The key is to ask for “cremation only” which ran $1100 because it was a small town funeral home. Apparently higher volume homes charge half that at $595.
When all was said and done, the family only had to pay the $1100. Preparing for an untimely demise in advance can save your family thousands of dollars. It’s not something you want to prepare for, and God knows when you’re young you don’t expect it. But that’s why they call it an untimely demise.
Sage, happy, and healthy wishes, from our family to yours.
