How To Plan Low Cost Funerals  

Losing a loved one is a devastating experience for anyone to have to go through. Their passing changes your life in more ways than you can imagine and you hurt unbelievably. Friends and family offer you their support and try their best with kind, comforting words but when you’re deep in grief their words of comfort are hard to listen to. You try your best to carry on with day to day life and carry out the tasks that you know need to be done, including arranging your loved one’s funeral.

Unfortunately, funeral costs here in Australia, are going through the roof and you can expect to pay anywhere between $ 3,000 and $7,000 and some are much higher than this, depending on what you want. These are large sums of money and it isn’t hard to see why more and more people are deciding to take out funeral insurance to cover the cost of their funeral.

How to reduce funeral costs

Low cost funerals can be achieved and you can still have a beautiful funeral for your loved one, without huge bills.  Most people begin to make funeral arrangements and they are totally unaware of the costs, until they are presented with a large bill. It’s best to know exactly what it is you require and the price of each item. For low cost funerals you definitely have to shop around as prices will vary and some funeral directors will be less expensive than others.

Your location also plays a big part in how expensive funerals will be. For instance if you’re living in Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne  or any of the big cities you will be paying much more than people living out of the cities and places inland. The reason, of course, is land availability. In the big cities there isn’t as much land on offer for burial sites and so prices soar.

So, when you’re thinking about low cost funerals, you should definitely be thinking about location.

If your loved one didn’t have any funeral insurance and you have to pay for all the funeral expenses, don’t worry. There are many ways in which you can cut costs while still achieving a lovely send off, for your loved one. Money isn’t everything when it comes to funerals. What matters is all the thought that went into it and the fitting tributes you offer to the one you’ve lost.

Here we have listed some of the ways in which you can reduce funeral expenses while still providing a respectful and memorable day for your loved one:

1. Think about the type of burial you would like

A traditional burial is the way most Australians choose to be buried, however, more and more are deciding to go for cremation, as an alternative. A traditional burial is much more expensive than cremation because of land availability.

For a traditional burial you could be looking at prices between $3,000 and $50,000 for a coffin. These prices do depend on the materials you would like the coffin to be made from. If you’re looking for metal, wood or even cardboard then you can expect to pay a lot of money.

The more affordable option would be to go for a coffin that’s been made from solid wood and that has visible grain. Even cheaper options would be coffins that have been made using wood fibre. These will be much cheaper, costing between $1,300 and $3, 600.

If your loved one had already pre purchased a plot in a cemetery then you won’t need to worry about buying a plot. If your loved one didn’t purchase a plot, look into prices carefully, as different locations will charge different prices, with some being higher than others.  For low cost funerals the location of the cemetery will play a big role.

The cost of a traditional burial will start at $1,400. A burial plot will cost you at least $1,600 with prices rising, depending on what you require. The cost of the plot and the cemetery services will generally cost you up to $3,500. To get a better idea on cost, it would be worth your while contacting your local cemetery owning church or your local council. They will be able to provide you with a much accurate figure.

Cremation, on the other hand, is much more affordable, as you won’t need such a large plot of land in the cemetery. This will help to keep costs down. It’s an excellent choice for anyone wanting to reduce funeral expenses.

Cremation prices are dramatically less than a traditional burial. The average cost of a cremation is between $700 and $2,500 depending on your location and the facility being used.  However, even for a cremation a coffin or casket will still be required, for the cremation service. The ashes urn will cost $50 and prices will rise from there, depending on the one you would like.

You may not even need to purchase an urn at all. You could scatter your loved one’s ashes somewhere special. Somewhere that was close to your loved one’s heart and meant a lot to them.

When it comes to picking up your loved one’s ashes most funeral directors will collect them for you, at a cost. You could pick up the ashes yourself. This will definitely save you some money and it would be a lovely thing to do.

So, as you can see, when it comes to achieving low cost funerals the choice between burial and cremation is a very important one. Cremation is definitely the cheapest but if your loved one didn’t want to be cremated you can still keep costs down with a traditional burial by carefully comparing prices.

2. Maybe donate your loved one’s body to medical research

For low cost funerals this option should definitely be considered. Maybe your loved one has already mentioned this option to you. Donating your body to medical research isn’t for everyone but it will save you a lot of money when it comes to funeral expenses and it greatly benefits society.

If your loved one wanted to go for this option or if you need more information on it, get in touch with your local hospital or university and they will be able to provide you with more details.

This is definitely the cheapest option of all. The only thing you’ll have to pay for is the transportation. Then, all you will need to do will be to arrange a beautiful memorial service, for your lost loved one.

3. Compare Low Cost Funerals 

When you’re thinking about low cost funerals, keep in mind that for everything you’ll need, there will be a price tag attached. Even at this devastating time in your life and as much as you won’t want to you should definitely be comparing prices for everything. Funeral costs are soaring but as long as you keep comparing prices you’ll definitely be better off.

Funeral costs will vary dramatically between funeral providers, so it makes sense to shop around. You definitely don’t have to go with the first one that comes along. Take your time to discuss what you want and need with them and then ask them for a quote.

Do this with a few funeral directors and make your final decision. Get them to break down exactly what it is they can offer. If you feel too emotional to do this by yourself, get a close friend or family member to be there with you as support. You cannot do this all by yourself, in your time of grief.

4. Say no to Embalming

Your funeral director may advise you to have your loved one professionally embalmed but it’s not always necessary. It’s an option for you but it definitely isn’t a necessity. They advise you do this to slow down the natural process of death. This will provide your loved one with a more life – like appearance. Embalming is useful if your loved one will be on display or if you want to view your loved one’s body, days after the death.

If you don’t need to have your loved one embalmed, you can arrange with your funeral director to have the funeral quite quickly after your loved one’s death. To help cut down funeral costs, this should definitely be considered.

5. Think about flowers

Most people love flowers at a funeral but they can be very expensive. The spray of flowers is placed on top of the casket or coffin and they look stunning. Prices will vary though, so you must compare florists. Prices are also reflected in the seasons and of course, the availability of the flowers you want to have. For seasonal sprays you could be looking at anywhere between $250 and $700. If you choose flowers that are currently out of season then prices will rise, depending on the ones you want. Another thing to consider is the amount of flowers that are in your spray, as the more you have, the higher the price will be.

Have a word with your funeral director or local florist and see what they think. When it comes to low cost funerals, flowers can be a big factor in how you can reduce costs. To save money, it would be a good idea to go for flowers that are in season and have fewer flowers in the spray.

Final thoughts

Losing a loved one is hard enough to have to cope with but when you’re worrying about funeral expenses too, emotions can run high. We hope we have helped you get some idea as to how you can reduce your loved one’s funeral expenses.

Low cost funerals really can be achieved but it will involve lots of consideration and shopping around. You don’t have to spend lots of money. The most important thing is that your loved one has a beautiful send off with personalised tributes that would mean so much to them. It’s your goodbye to your lost loved one and the main thing is that you honour him/her in your own special way.

If you are planning your own funeral however, you can remove the financial burden of your funeral from your loved ones altogether by pre paying for your funeral or taking out funeral insurance. For more information on funeral insurance, click here…