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Funerals.
When a loved one dies, grieving family members and friends
are often confronted with dozens of decisions about funerals—all
of which must be made quickly and likely under great emotional
stress.
There are questions about funeral planning.
What kind of funeral
planning needs to be done? Should we have a burial or
consider cremations?
Or should we donate the body to science? What are we required
to buy?
You're
also faced with funeral arrangements.
What funeral
arrangements should we plan? What
funeral
homes should we contact? And, as callous as it may sound,
how much are funeral
costs? What are the fair and reasonable costs for caskets,
funeral flowers, cremation urns and more?
Funerals are a time for human sharing
in the deepest sense. They represents a purposeful
opportunity to reflect on a life that has been lived, and
to honor the memory of that life for family and friends.
There is no “right” kind of funeral service.
The average cost for funerals in the U.S.
($6,500) is nearly four times that in Great Britain ($1,650),
and almost triple what it is in France ($2,200) or Australia
($2,100). And that’s the AVERAGE cost; traditional funerals
can run upwards of $15,000.
Why is there such a difference in
costs between the U.S. and other countries with similar
burial practices? The single major difference is
very likely the merchandising and sales ability of the funeral
industry in this country. By exploiting the emotional stress
and the lack of knowledge that most individuals bring to
funeral homes when they need to plan funerals, morticians
have been able to sell more than is necessary or legally
required. Hey, it’s a business, right?
Right. It is a business. And as
a consumer, you deserve to have the information you need
to make sure that you plan and conduct the right funerals,
at the right price.
The purpose of this site is simple. It provides
free information, suggestions, and planning aids to help
you make decisions about the most appropriate ways to care
for and memorialize your loved one—without being oversold
or overcharged for funerals.
Warm Regards,
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