Services offered by a funeral home

Posted by on January 5, 2009

Funeral homes, cemeteries, and memorial dealers all play an important role in caring for a deceased family member.  However, funeral homes normally handle the actual funeral or memorial service. 

But not all funeral services are like.  In fact, funeral homes offer a range of services designed to accommodate different wishes and budgets. 

Here are the most common types of services offered at most funeral homes:

·        traditional funeral service

·        immediate burial

·        direct cremation

·        cremation with services

·        donation

·        memorial service

·        graveside service

·        private service

You should not finalize any funeral arrangements before you understand the goods, services, and costs associated with each option.  During the arrangement conference  you should ask the funeral director to explain his services and prices in easy-to-understand language so you can make the right decision for your family.  

You can also find detailed price estimates and descriptions for each of the above services in the Funeral Saver’s Kit.

What makes up your overall funeral bill?

Posted by on January 2, 2009

 Funeral expenses really consist of three separate pieces:

1.     the services and merchandise provided by the funeral home

2.     the costs and services to dispose of the body or cremains (i.e. ashes) at the cemetery or elsewhere

3.     the cost to purchase and install some type of memorial (i.e. headstone, marker, monument)

Even if you end up paying for all three pieces through the funeral home, it’s best to break the cost of a funeral down into the above-three categories. 

When estimating your TOTAL funeral costs, you must add all three pieces together.  I think this is by far the best way to plan a funeral because it allows you to isolate and prioritize the goods and services that are most important to you.

While every family is different, the most common complaint I hear from families is “I wish I would have spent less on the funeral and more on the memorial”.  This makes some sense since the memorial is the only thing that lasts after the funeral is over.