Funerals can be quite expensive. Even small, simple funerals will likely run into the multiple thousands of dollars, which is more than a lot of people can afford on short notice. Most of the time you will pay for these costs out of the deceased’s estate, but they may or may not have allocated enough in their estate plan for you to make this happen.
Funeral expenses in Walterboro, SC include burial or cremation, caskets, flowers, facilities, food for guests and more. If you wish to cut down on the amount of money you spend, here are a few tips to help you save on funeral costs:
- Pass on embalming: The cost of embalming can run up to $1,000 on its own. However, this isn’t a process that’s actually required by state laws. If it’ll only be a day or so until the funeral, you might ask if refrigeration is an option to keep the body in good condition while saving money on the embalming costs. If you’re not having an open casket funeral, you don’t even need to worry about it.
- Go to another source for caskets and urns: A lot of times, if you purchase the casket or urn from the funeral home you’re working with, there will be much higher costs for the purchase. Most states will not require that you purchase your casket or urn directly from the funeral home—you can find wholesale suppliers where you can get decent quality items for way less money.
- Go for something simple: There are “gasketed” or “protected” caskets that are designed to protect the body from the elements when it’s in the ground. These special pieces of equipment cost next to nothing for the funeral home, but might be a massive add-on expense for the person planning the funeral. Beyond that, the body is going to decompose anyway—there’s no need for preservation. In general, opting for wooden caskets, especially for direct cremations, is the best way to save money.
- Cremation: Cremation is significantly less expensive than burial. You don’t have to worry about caskets or embalming, and you don’t have to pay for a larger plot of land at a cemetery. You may wish to have the urn interred in a mausoleum, but you can also keep the urn or spread the ashes elsewhere.
- Get creative with memorial locations: You don’t necessarily have to have a memorial service at a funeral home or church. You could have it at your own home, if you wish. You could have it in a park. There are plenty of options to personalize the memorial while also saving money.
- Medical donation: The body can be donated to scientific research or medical schools, and by doing so, you won’t have to worry about covering any of the costs of a burial or funeral. This donation occurs immediately after the death.
For more information about some of the strategies you can use to save money on funeral arrangements, contact the burial monument and headstone makers in Walterboro, SC at Steedley Monument Works.