Everyone knows that funerals and burials can be expensive. These are the best funeral alternatives out there to keep costs low.
Each year, over 2 million people die in the United States.
Death is a fact of life and also a huge business. In 2019, there were over 19,136 funeral homes in the country.
Like with any business, funeral homes must charge for their services. These prices can add up to astronomical costs. That’s why more and more people are turning to funeral alternatives.
In this article, we’ll cover some of the most popular alternatives to a funeral to help you explore what options are available.
The leading cause of death is heart disease. It accounts for about 23.5% of all fatalities. Cancer is the second leading cause.
Death is an unfortunate fact we must all contend with at some point in our lives. The problem is that the cost of funerals are so expensive that they drive many families deep into doubt. Debt is the last thing you want to struggle with while also coping with grief.
The average basic service fee for a traditional funeral is around $2,100. There’s also the cost of moving your loved one’s remains, which costs about $325. Embalming adds another $725.
Once all the costs are added up, you’re often looking at having to pay well over $7,300 for a traditional funeral.
The high costs are why many people are now looking into how to have a cheap funeral via different alternatives. Here are some of the most popular options around:
Cremation is far more affordable than a traditional funeral. Its costs are often 10% of what you’d expect to pay for a conventional burial. That’s why over 53% of Americans now choose cremation.
Cremation involves placing the deceased within a cremation container. An industrial furnace called a cremation chamber then incinerates the remains. The fire inside the room ranges between 1400°F to 1800°F.
The entire process takes about 3 hours to reduce the body to ashes. The ashes are then collected into an urn and returned to the deceased’s family.
There are several pros and cons to cremation. No one but you can make the final decision on whether this is a choice you feel comfortable with for your loved one.
Another rising trend concerning cremation is the use of cremation jewelry. Coping with loss is a complicated process, and many people want to possess something related to their loved ones in remembrance of them. Cremation jewelry allows you to always carry a part of your loved one around with you.
The process of resomation, or bio-cremation, involves using heated water and potassium hydroxide to liquefy the remains. Only the bones are left behind. These bones are then pulverized into bone fragments.
With the process completed, the family receives the bone fragments. From here, you can choose to bury the remains in a traditional grave or place them within an urn.
If you’re looking for a funeral alternative that leaves an even smaller carbon footprint than flame-based cremation, then resomation might be a choice you’re interested in.
If your loved one had a special place in their heart for preserving aquatic wildlife, then an Eternal Reef might be the perfect way to honor them.
The Eternal Reef burial option involves taking your loved one’s cremated remains and mixing them with a mixture of concrete. This combination is stylized into a reef and placed into the sea, where it creates an undersea habitat for fish.
You can then go diving or snorkeling to visit the gravesite of your loved one. You’ll be able to witness your loved one becoming one with nature and surrounded by colorful tropical fish. It’s a choice gaining in popularity fast due to its conservation efforts.
This alternative hails back to ancient times. A natural burial means that no embalming occurs, and concrete won’t line the gravesite. With this method, the body is wrapped in a shroud or placed within a biodegradable casket.
There are many natural cemeteries scattered all over the country. Even if there aren’t any natural burial cemeteries near you, many have a section set aside for natural graves.
By choosing a natural burial, you’re allowing your loved one’s remains to rejoin the cycle of life and benefit the environment. Many natural cemeteries double as nature preserves.
If your loved one enjoyed nature and worked to help preserve wildlife and natural habitats, a natural burial might be an excellent way to honor them.
This process is a newer funeral alternative that involves freeze-drying.
Promession involves immersing the body in liquid nitrogen. This step makes the body brittle. Vibrations then shake the body apart.
A special vacuum chamber then evaporates water. A separator then filters out dental fillings and surgical implants. Once completed, powdered remains are what’s left.
These remains are most often placed in a shallow grave. A shallow grave allows oxygen and water to mix with the powdered remains and form a compost to help with the environment.
Capsula Mundi means “world’s capsule” in Latin. It is an egg-shaped, organic casket that your loved one’s ashes go into.
Once this capsule is buried, the biodegradable plastic of the shell breaks down. The remains provide nutrients to a sapling that’s planted above the capsule.
When you lose a loved one, it can feel as if your heart will never recover. You shouldn’t also have to stress over money while coping with grief.
Numerous funeral alternatives now exist thanks to the advancement of technology. Many of these alternatives are far cheaper than what you’d pay for a traditional casket burial.
Whatever you choose, everyone’s grief is a personal journey unique to them. Finding closure can be a monumental undertaking that might take years. Go at your own pace, and please don’t hesitate to rely on friends and family.
If you live in the Dallas or Fort Worth metro area in Texas, consider letting Lone Star Cremation handle your burial services. We treat the entire process with respect and professionalism from start to finish.
Contact us today to set up your arrangements.
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