Funding the Rising Costs of Death
The cost of dying has more than skyrocketed in the past 6 decades and families are finding it incredibly difficult to keep up.
In 1960, the average cost for a funeral service was $708 before cemetery fees and other charges. However, by 2019 the median cost of funeral services including fees was $9,135 and steadily rising.
The cost of a funeral is generally a lot more than people can afford during their time of need. A 2019 survey found that only 40% of Americans could afford to pay for an unexpected emergency over $1,000. However, the average cost of cremation more than doubles that number.
In a breakdown by the website CreditDonkey, they listed the cost for each of the services typically found for a funeral.
- Transportation of the body to the funeral home $325
- Embalming and grooming the body for viewing $975
- Hearse and service car for funeral procession $475
- Basic casket $2,400
- Printed material for service, such as mass cards and programs $160
- Staff for the wake/viewing and funeral services $925
It’s common to feel overwhelmed looking at the cost of services. Many families are unaware of which arrangements are necessary and find themselves overspending when trying to give their loved ones the best send-off.
Funding Funerals
To help alleviate the burden of funeral costs, Crowdfunding has become a common resource for grieving families.
Specific crowdfunding platforms have been designed for funerals. Some of these platforms include Ever Loved, Social Funeral Funding and Fund The Funeral.
Unlike websites like GoFundMe, these sites are designed to take less of the donated money and guarantee direct payment to the funeral homes for the services.
If crowdfunding isn’t an option, families are encouraged to compare different funeral homes to help make their best decision. Due to competitiveness in the funeral business, many homes are not willing to publicly display their prices on the internet so you may have to go in to hear their options and find out the general prices.
Keep in mind that you are not required to buy everything that they offer you, including flower and service options. You are allowed to shop around and bring items that you bought for the service.
If you are looking for a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly funeral option, check out our article Eco-Life to Eco-Death.
As death comes to us all in the end, the best way to ensure you are covered would be to plan ahead and save money for funeral costs. This can be done alongside things like life insurance and by doing so the financial burden can be lifted for grieving family members.
Funerals are normal and natural but how you prepare for them will determine how the family processes.
