The loss of a loved one is a tragic experience, make no mistake. Sadly, other challenges beyond grieving pose a threat to your well-being. For example, the cost of the average funeral clocks in at about $7,848.
Cremation allows you to give a proper sendoff for your beloved without breaking the bank. That said, even your typical cremation service can bloat in price with add-ons and package options. A shameless funeral salesman might convince you to spend far over your anticipated budget while you’re emotionally vulnerable.
How can you save money and still get a decent cremation service? In this guide, we look at options to reduce the financial burden after your loss.
It’s common practice to have a funeral very soon after the death of a loved one. Regrettably, there is a sense of pressure despite your need to slow down and take inventory. The government, funeral services, and others rush you to handle all the post-mortem affairs post-haste.
Although you do need to act before the body begins to decompose, don’t let people force your hand. Especially when they’re trying to sell you a casket. Death is a tragic event that everyone deserves time to process.
You have plenty of Fort Worth cremation services to choose from. While we obviously don’t recommend taking weeks to make your choice, don’t buy from the first option on the list. Shop around.
There’s a very good chance that the next place over has a better deal. Just make sure to ask firmly if there are any hidden fees you should anticipate. You don’t want to think you’ve gotten a good deal, only to discover there’s a last-minute cost thrown in.
Normally, a cremation includes all the “frills” you might find in a funeral package. A hearse, a funeral director, and a ceremony of your choice. The only real difference is that there is no casket and no burial service.
A direct cremation is the easiest way to save money here. Simply put, you forgo the ceremony after sending your beloved to a Fort Worth cremation service. You collect the ashes and do whatever you feel is right with them.
You might host a funeral service at your home or at your local church. You might hire only a religious official to take care of the funeral rites. It allows you to reduce costs down to the bare bones of only what you want or need.
Rest assured, direct cremation is identical to a standard cremation procedure. Nothing about the process or the urn changes. It’s simply a cremation without ceremony.
What’s great about cremation is that it allows you more time to mourn before having services. With a standard funeral, the decomposition of the body is what has resulted in having funerals so soon after death. A body will only last so long before burial is essential, even after embalming.
Cremated ashes have no such limitation. There’s no need to rush the official funeral service for a person once you cremate them. If you need a month, six months, or even a year, you can wait until then.
This is especially helpful if you are in a pinch at the time of passing. Waiting until finances are better gives you a chance to deal with it properly. You wouldn’t get the same chance with a typical burial.
Many cremation services allow you to itemize the cost. You can pay for individual fees, removing any services you do not want or require.
This may, however, not provide the savings you think you are getting. Like many deals, the best ones usually come in a package. The same applies to cremation services.
Getting a package deal makes it much easier to manage cremation costs. You usually get added benefits here or there, too. Like buying in bulk, there are savings to be had by purchasing multiple services together rather than itemizing them.
If you would still like some of those “frills,” then consider cutting down on the things you don’t need. Some cremation services may offer the following optional add-ons:
Some components of the package may be absolutely necessary. For example, transporting the remains and refrigerating them on site. Or, removing the remains from your residence.
So, consider which things you really, truly need. If you don’t require something–or can get it cheaper by doing it yourself–then buy the cheapest package. Most cremation services in Fort Worth give you plenty of pricing tiers to choose from.
In place of a casket, the urn is your deceased’s final resting place. It’s natural to want the most beautiful casket, or in this case, the most beautiful urn. Some people purchase bespoke urns, often with high price tags.
While it is a decent sentiment, it’s the thought that counts. It won’t matter to many people what vessel you choose. What matters is who is lost, and having the memory of them within reach.
Plus, there is always the option to transfer the ashes to a different urn later on. You can do this yourself and lose only a tiny, tiny portion of the ashes in the transfer process. If your current finances are an issue, then maybe just wait until you can afford a better urn later on.
Your cremation service will provide you with a temporary urn for the ashes. To save even more money, you can dispense with the urn entirely. Take your beloved to a special place and scatter their ashes.
Scattering ashes is an excellent means for many people to find closure. It also gives your lost loved one a peaceful resting place at a location of their choosing–something less grim than a graveyard. Conveniently, it costs much less than purchasing a nice urn as well.
During the pandemic, thousands of people passed away in great numbers. Through FEMA, the government provided COVID-19 benefits for the deceased. You can still claim these benefits up until 2025 if your loved one passed from COVID-19.
You can claim up to $9,000 per funeral if you qualify. This money could go towards covering, completely or partially, the cost of cremation. It might even help to get a better package that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford.
If your loved one did not pass from COVID-19, other benefits may apply.
At the time of writing, these are two of the best options available to you. Others may appear in the future with government initiatives and new laws. Check your local county or city website to see if there are benefits unique to your area.
Your employer may have benefits to reimburse or cover some funeral expenses. Deceased employees (in certain fields and companies) may have access to death and burial benefits. You could claim a payout of 75% of their salary following their death, or better in some cases.
Life insurance is also, naturally, an option to deal with the financial burden. Family members may be able to help as well.
Sadly, many people know that their loved one is living their final days. They may be in poor health, hospice care, or simply in and out of the hospital. Risk factors like heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions worsen their chances even further.
If you know that your loved one doesn’t have much longer, then plan in advance. Purchasing cremation services earlier rather than later may save you money.
First of all, you may be able to lock in a better rate. For all you know, the prices could see an increase in six months or a year. The rapid rise in inflation has led to costs for everything to skyrocket across the board.
Second, there may be benefits to reserving your service in advance. It helps, financially, to plan out the cost as well.
Some people choose to be organ donors or donate their bodies to scientific learning. Since this is a donation, the institutions that claim the body handle the expenses. There’s a common misconception here, though: the idea that you can’t get the body back.
Some body donation programs will cremate the remains once they finish their experiments. They then send these cremated remains back to you.
Most importantly, it’s a win-win situation. You get a free (or subsidized) cremation while helping the scientific community. Just make sure the deceased opted-in before going this route.
A cremation service is often a more affordable way to give dignity to your passed-on loved ones. That said, it can still get expensive without realizing it. Use this guide to reduce the financial burden on you and your family.
Lone Star Cremation helps you honor the dead in a respectful–but still affordable–fashion. Book an appointment with us to take care of your deceased.
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