Life throws up loads of different experiences and things that affect us in various ways. There are many things in life that are unexpected and unpredictable. It may sound dark, but death is one of the only certainties in life. What’s also certain is that the death of a loved one can have financial implications on your life. Mainly, the cost of having a funeral can be remarkably drastic- most people don’t understand how costly a funeral is until they have to plan one.
Funeral Service
The actual funeral service itself throws up lots of individual costs that come together to create one big bill. You need to pay to hire a hearse, pay for people to transport the coffin and then assist with the burial, while also paying for a limo to pick you and your family up in so you can travel behind the hearse. The funeral service costs are probably the ones most deserving of the money you spend. After all, you need people to help out and get everything prepared and sorted for you, so it’s worthwhile to make the day just a tiny bit less stressful.
Memorials
You might be surprised to know that headstones and other memorials can be extremely costly. Some companies can charge you thousands of pounds just for a standard headstone. There are places like The Co-Operative Funeralcare that offer memorials as part of their general funeral service. By bundling things together, it can help you save money on the whole. Especially compared to paying for general services from one company and then going out and looking for a memorial provider. Like I said, a lot of the independent headstone/memorial providers are just money grabbers and can charge loads.
Coffin
Of course, you have to pay for the coffin itself. This can be a very tricky decision as you want to find one that’s worthy of your deceased relative. Coffins can cost anywhere in the region of £200 upwards, it all depends on the size and design. Again, most companies that offer funeral services will have coffins available to purchase. I advise you don’t go and look for an independent company as it just complicates things and could cost more.
Nobody likes thinking about death or funerals, but we have to prepare for the inevitable. It’s better to prepare now and understand what you’re up against rather than be hit with the shock of how much everything costs. If your loved one has funeral insurance from a company like Final Expense it can certainly take the sting out of the tail, so this could be something to discuss ahead of time.
You’ll undoubtedly be going through a tough time already, the last thing you want is extra stress because you had no idea how many things you had to pay for. Educate yourself, so you’re not shocked when it’s sadly time to plan a funeral. At the very least it will take a tiny bit of stress off your shoulders as you know what to expect.
