When a dearly beloved passes away, necessary and unnecessary funeral expenses can make an already difficult time even more challenging. According to a study by the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), the 2023 U.S. median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial was $8,300 and $6,280 for funerals with cremation services.
The same NFDA article pointed out that funeral costs vary depending on location. For example, in Texas, the median costs of funerals with viewings and burials and those with cremations are lower ($7,912 and $5,890, respectively).
Despite costing less in Texas, funerals can still take a huge financial toll on the families of those who pass away.
To that end, we at Lone Star Cremation put together this guide exploring funeral cost reduction tips. Read on to discover ways of saving money on funerals by minimizing unnecessary or “optional” expenses.
One of the best ways to save on funeral expenses is to learn about the necessary and unnecessary costs associated with memorial services. An excellent way to do this is to know more about the Funeral Rule, a federal law that protects you, as a consumer, against the latter. It gives consumers the right to choose only their desired funeral services.
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Funeral Rule is a set of laws requiring funeral service providers to give consumers accurate and itemized pricing details and disclosures about their products and services. Part of this is informing customers about their “basic fees,” charges common to all funerals, and that consumers can’t “decline.”
Examples of non-declinable basic fees are those for:
Under the Funeral Rule, funeral service providers must indicate disclosures about their basic, non-declinable fees.
You can think of “unnecessary” funeral costs as “optional” or “add-on” products or services. An example is embalming.
Under Texas Administrative Code §203.48, embalming is typically not a legal requirement if you choose direct cremation or immediate burial. However, it may become necessary if you opt to have a funeral with a viewing for your loved one.
Other examples of optional funeral costs are:
Under the Funeral Rule, funeral service providers must also provide itemized prices for those extras.
Your beloved deceased family member may have purchased an insurance policy to help cover funeral-related costs. For example, they may have bought life or burial/funeral insurance.
Suppose your deceased loved one left a life insurance policy and named you a beneficiary. In that case, the insurance provider will pay you a lump sum upon the death of your loved one and after you file a claim.
You can use the life insurance policy’s death benefit payout as you see fit. For example, to help cover the costs of your loved one’s funeral and minimize your out-of-pocket expenses.
If your loved one purchased burial/funeral insurance and named you a beneficiary, you’ll receive a payout from the insurance provider. According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), burial coverage typically ranges from $5,000 to $25,000.
The primary difference between burial/funeral insurance and life insurance is that the former only allows you to use the proceeds to pay for the insured person’s funeral service. With a life insurance policy, it’s up to you to use part of its payout for your loved one’s funeral expenses.
One of the primary benefits of burials is that they provide a final permanent resting place for our dear ones who pass. Some religious traditions also believe that burial is necessary.
However, there is no law mandating burials in Texas; they are optional. You can choose cremation over a burial instead. It can help minimize the costs of a loved one’s passing and funeral because they typically cost less.
Cremations are usually more affordable than burials because you may not have to pay for:
Remember, it’s entirely up to you and your family to choose whether to cremate or bury your deceased loved one. However, you must also factor in how the costs of laying them to rest will affect your finances.
Yes, your dearly beloved will only have one funeral. However, it could leave a long-lasting financial impact due to the higher costs of burials.
Now that you know more about unnecessary or optional funeral expenses, the next step is to decide which products or services you want. Making a checklist (and sticking to it) can help with your funeral budget management.
When creating your checklist, consider the following to reduce your expenses.
A direct cremation is one of the most affordable alternatives to traditional burials, as you don’t need to buy a casket.
Caskets are the single most expensive item used in funerals. As TheStreet.com points out, their median cost is around $2,500, with the average price being around $2,000. However, their prices can range from as low as $700 to over $10,000.
With a direct cremation, you only pay for the cremation and the basic fees set by the funeral service provider. You can opt for an alternative container if you wish. At Lone Star Cremation, our affordable cremation plans only cost $795 to $1,595.
Urns are ornamental and functional vessels that hold and preserve a cremated person’s ashes. Like caskets, their designs can range from simple to ornate.
You can find urns that are as simple as those made of wooden boxes or metal vases, as well as those that are more ornate, such as crystal and glass containers. Regardless of which one you choose, you’ll still spend less on an urn than you would with a casket.
For instance, at Lone Star Cremation, we have urns that cost as little as $25. However, we also have more intricately designed, permanent pieces; our priciest, top-of-the-line options cost over $3,700. On the other hand, as mentioned above, some of the most expensive caskets can cost upwards of $10,000.
Whether you go for cremation or a burial for your loved one, you can have cost-effective memorial services by holding them at home instead of at a funeral service provider’s facility. Holding them at a funeral home can drastically increase costs because you’ll “rent” the space. Doing them at home eliminates this expense.
If you decide to hold a memorial service, ordering funeral flowers is another expense you must add to your checklist. The costs can be hefty, as flowers are expensive commodities.
Certain flowers may cost more due to their seasonal availability and more challenging cultivation. Examples include roses, mini carnations, lilies, and cushion pompons.
Funeral floral arrangements are also expensive because of the labor involved in customizing them. Expert florists invest time in designing and arranging funeral flowers to meet customers’ requests and create meaningful tributes. The more elaborate the design and arrangement of the bouquet or piece, the higher it can cost.
The delivery and logistics aspects of funeral floral arrangements also add to their hefty price. Depending on the distance from the shop to the delivery address, florists may use specialized equipment, such as refrigerator trucks, to keep the flowers in top condition.
Consider opting for flowers already in season to minimize the costs of funeral flowers. Since they’re bountiful during these times, they can cost less than specially grown out-of-season ones.
You can also buy pre-arranged flowers at your local florist, grocery store, or supermarket and arrange them later to suit your needs and taste.
Another option is to purchase flowers that aren’t in an arrangement yet. Because you buy them as-is (e.g., per piece, per dozen, or bundle), there’s no arrangement labor fee added to their price yet. You can then customize their design and arrange them yourself.
Lastly, choose a flower provider located as close to you as possible. While you want to reduce unnecessary expenses, you shouldn’t order flowers from a store that’s too far from you, as they’d have wilted by the time you get them.
Death is an inevitable part of life, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay for unnecessary funeral expenses to burden the loved ones of those who pass away. So, if you wish to minimize the costs of honoring and laying a dearly beloved to rest, keep this guide’s tips in mind.
You can also rely on our team here at Lone Star Cremation to assist with your loved one’s funeral. Since 2004, we have done the same for thousands of families in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metro Area and North Texas.
Book an appointment with us today so we can help you create an affordable funeral service plan for your loved one.
Contact | Obituaries | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Our Commitment to Accessibility |Fort Worth Cremation Services | Dallas Cremation Services | Website by FRM Websites
