How much should a funeral cost?

[BayCityRickL]

When there is a rare TV documentary on the cost of funerals, the general message is that the American public is totally ripped off on the price of everything.

Comments: Please tell if and how you may have been over-charged at a funeral? Tell how to control costs of a funeral.

[geezerbob]

Two funeral I was recently involved in, one locally and one in southern Ohio, both cost between $5K and $6K. However, the breakdown of costs was very dissimilar. Casket here was over $3K while a similar one in Ohio was $750.

There is a privately owned place near Augusta that does only "natural" burials (no embalming, cardboard casket) for something under $2,500.

Despite the fact that a number of funeral homes have filed for bankruptcy in the last few years, the whole industry seems geared to overcharging vulnerable people in their time of grief. Just my personal opinion.

[Edwin1961]

I chose $1501-$3000.
A funeral should not cost more than then you first came into this world, but it does.

I can understand, there are costs performing the labor of a funeral, but not to have a fancy coffin, which your family and friends see, than YOU when you are in it.

I think the cost of a funeral is more of a ego booster for the survivors and family members to either 'show off' how much they want to make an impression, or too cheap enough to get more money out of the life insurance policy.

My mother used to joke around about , just put me in a Hefty trash bag. (First of all, that is illegal and abuse of a corpse) but my mother was thrying to make a point. She did not want an expensive funeral.
When she died in 1994, my father made sure of that. The funeral completely came to a final cost of just a shde over $4,000.
Now when my father died in 2002, my brother and I kept the price just a tad over $5,000. (With the cost of imflation the increase was justified). But I still think the cost is too high. The cost should not be to where it can't be affordable.

[Trelow]

Cost has a lot to do with the area you live in. Having worked in the mortuary business, I'll tell you a few ways to cut some costs. Still for a full burial expect to spend no less that 3k.

Buy your casket on-line. The markup on a box you cover with dirt is ridiculous.

Make your own memorial folders, or have your church make them.

Don't buy flowers through the funeral home. If at all possible get them at a grocery. They usually do a good job at a lower cost than most florists.

Ask for memorial contributions in leu of flowers.

If you can do any transport yourself, do it.

Hire your own hairdresser, or have a family member do it.

Don't get a limo or family car, drive yourself.

Don't seclude the funeral on a Sunday or Holiday.

Shop around on monuments.

[Trelow]

Originally Posted by Edwin1961

I think the cost of a funeral is more of a ego booster for the survivors and family members to either 'show off' how much they want to make an impression, or too cheap enough to get more money out of the life insurance policy.

Yes. Guilt is the biggest spender at a funeral.

[thann]

American funeral costs are crazy -- and, frankly, a lot of the procedures are unnecessary. Question everything that the funeral director mentions (if you have the emotional fortitude).

My mom would have been appalled at the cost of her funeral (more than $7,000), and my siblings and I actively tried to keep the costs down by designing and printing our own programs, holy cards, etc.

Caskets, even purchased online, are ridiculously expensive -- and such a waste, at least in my opinion. When a person is cremated (as both of my parents were), they must be in a casket of some sort, so the expensive caskets my family chose were destroyed.

Also, beware of the cost of submitting an obituary to newspapers. My family asked me to write an obituary for my mom and submit it not only to her local paper, but also to the paper in the city where we grew up. Cost of the obit in the second paper: $1,000! We had NO idea to ask what the cost would be, shame on us. However, don't you think that the funeral director had some obligation to let us know (he took care of all that stuff).

Thankfully my parents had set aside money specifically for funeral expenses (they knew the ballpark figures), so it was not a hardship for us -- but the vast majority of folks don't do that, and are not even aware of current funeral costs.

'thann

[Trelow]

Originally Posted by thann

Caskets, even purchased online, are ridiculously expensive -- and such a waste, at least in my opinion. When a person is cremated (as both of my parents were), they must be in a casket of some sort, so the expensive caskets my family chose were destroyed.

Use a cardboard box.

Also, beware of the cost of submitting an obituary to newspapers. My family asked me to write an obituary for my mom and submit it not only to her local paper, but also to the paper in the city where we grew up. Cost of the obit in the second paper: $1,000! We had NO idea to ask what the cost would be, shame on us. However, don't you think that the funeral director had some obligation to let us know (he took care of all that stuff).

Forgot about that, we had one family that spent about 8k on obits, crazy,

[Trelow]

As much as I'm against governmental regulations, the mortuary business has next to none. That's part of the problem.

[Annunciata]

$6001 to $10,000....
When I buried my first husband,(14 years ago yesterday) after all was said and done... the WHOLE thing cost me about $10,000

[Dandelion_Wine]

a recent funeral in the family cost $13,000 and we tried to keep the cost down.

The 'basic' package, which didn't inclued a casket, or really anything except for embalming and 'services' - whatever that means - costs $3000+. Then add on the casket, flowers, payment to the church/priest/organist/cantor, the sign-in book & thank yous (that's where it was REALLY evident you're getting ripped off).

It's a crock.

Van Halen has a song called "In & Out". The refrain goes something like this:

They got you going in
They got you going out
Same amount
In & Out

[space ghost]

The average cost of a funeral, as of July 2004, is $6,500. That cost includes an outer burial container, but does not include cemetery costs.
http://www.nfda.org/nfdafactsheets.php

[Binney]

I haven't the slightest idea...
But I was shocked when my local funeral home started factoring in the cost of having a cantor at the funeral. This is in addition to the organist. Yes, the organist and cantor get a cut of the cake too.

I am considering preordering a casket made by trappist monks at
http://trappistcaskets.com/

Perhaps I can drape my preowned casket with a nice lace cloth and use it a large number of years as a couch table....just trying to get the most for my money

[stbruno]

Buried my parent just 3 months ago. Funeral costs to the funeral home included the church and the grave opening but not the grave itself since my father already had his grave, and I had to purchase his stone marker separately.

Funeral Home $10,000m,
Cemetery lot purchased more than 20yrs. ago was $750 but now double.
Headstone, not a fancy one either, to match mother's stone who died more than 30yrs.ago. was $750
Luncheon after the funeral $700 for around 60 people.

[Melissa]

I have no idea how much was spent on my grandmother's funeral last year. I do know, however, that 20 years before they died, my grandparents both pre-paid their funeral/purchased plot/stone and everything else, so I'm quite satisfied that no one took advantage of my grandfather. (It was his choice to put 59 red roses in the casket spray in honor of the number of years they were married.)

The more I think about it, I think the pre-paying (which does go with you if the company you worked w/ goes out of business before you die) is a good idea, especially if times are inflationary.

[tee_eff_em]

I always tell my wife to bury me in a cardboard box. As an extra thrift, she promises that (since I will be gone) she will have to use the insurance money to buy a dishwasher, and she can bury me in the box it comes in.


tee