On a Budget: A Guide to Planning a Funeral Service Without Excessive Expense

After the death of a loved one, it’s challenging to cope with the loss. On top of that, planning a funeral service can cause even more stress. You have to make sure you invite everyone who knew them. Then, you have to develop an agenda for the ceremony in celebration of the deceased.

Not only is there pressure to get everything right, but a funeral also costs money. All in all, the event can become an expensive ordeal. In fact, the funeral home industry throughout the United States makes a significant amount of money. Already in the year 2019, the industry has generated $17 billion in revenue.

If you’re trying to plan a more affordable funeral service, you’re in luck. Detailed below is how to arrange a respectful funeral without breaking the bank.

Start By Determining What Details You Need

It’s true that there are a lot of potential costs when it comes to a funeral service. You’ll have to consider options like flowers, invitations, and even the officiant. Still, you don’t have to stick to all of the traditional guidelines. For example, when it comes to providing food for the service, feel free to take it easy. You don’t need to offer a full meal to everyone in attendance, after all. Instead, stick to simple appetizers and beverage options that wouldn’t be as expensive.

Another idea is to limit the flowers you buy. It’s common to decorate a funeral service with as many flowers as possible. Still, that’s a cost that can really start to add up. As an alternative, ask everyone who attends to bring their own donation of flowers for the deceased loved one. You can leave a simple line on the order online lasix invitation regarding the request for anyone who wants to be involved. That way, everyone will feel as though he or she helped in creating this memorial event. It’s a way to establish genuine human participation in a time when people need it the most.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you what factors of this funeral service are essential. For more detailed specifics on typical services, check out this article on your ideal funeral arrangement checklist.

Consider Cremation Over a Burial

Perhaps you’re aware that the process of cremation is significantly cheaper than a full burial. A burial requires everything from embalming to an expensive casket. Instead, cremation is a sensible solution. It’s important, though, that you consider the religious beliefs and personal desires of the deceased. If a burial is requested in a will, for example, you don’t have much of a choice.

Still, consider this statistic from the National Funeral Directors Association. It indicates that not only has cremation become more popular in recent years. It also predicts that Americans will start to choose cremation more and more often than burials in the future. Plus, you can save even more money by bringing your own urn for the ashes. The container can be pretty much anything, which is of particular convenience.

Don’t Get Carried Away By Your Emotions

It’s an unfortunate truth that no matter what, the cost of this funeral service is going to challenge your emotional stability. It’s easy to want to go above and beyond for our loved ones when they pass away. This is true, in particular, when our grief makes our buying decisions on our behalf.

That’s why it’s so essential that you establish a budget and stick to it. As mentioned above, you don’t need to invest in every possible decoration or funeral expense if you’re smart.

When you’ve made a determination about what you’re willing to spend, don’t deviate from it. If you have to, you can ask others to help cover the costs.

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Friends and Family Members for Financial Assistance

When it comes to the financial burden of a funeral service, you shouldn’t have to bear it alone. Odds are that plenty of other loved ones share a responsibility in the matter.

If you find yourself getting in over your head with the funeral’s expenses, be willing to ask for help. You don’t have to be demanding with your friends and family members, of course. Rather, ask them for donations to cover the costs as a relief to your personal finances.

Host Part of the Ceremony in Your Own Home

The last tip to make the upcoming funeral service affordable is to host part of it yourself. It’s both convenient and sophisticated to hold the main ceremony in a funeral home, of course.

Still, you can invite everyone over for refreshments and mingling after the fact. Doing so will both maintain some genuine human connectivity as well as save you time and money renting a funeral home.

Begin Planning a Funeral Service You Can Afford Today

At this point in the article, you’re likely comfortable with planning a funeral service on a budget. There’s no need to go broke or go into debt to celebrate the life of a loved one. Instead, focus on the more genuine human components of the service – not the materialistic ones.

Still, you don’t want to cut corners that will detract from the service’s sophistication. After all, you deserve the peace of mind that comes from knowing the funeral is a respectful one. That’s why it’s crucial you make the most of every aspect of the service.

Of course, there are a lot of ins and outs to navigate when it comes to planning a funeral service. If you feel as though you’re a bit overwhelmed, that’s understandable.

On top of testing your organizational skills, you’re handling a lot of personal grief. Losing a loved one is never an easy experience in the first place, after all.

Well, that’s where we can help you. We prioritize providing professional, reliable assistance when preparing funeral services. That’s why we encourage you to check out the funeral service arrangements on our website today.