Posts Tagged ‘cremation’

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Common Cremation Questions

Tuesday, July 30th, 2013

Common Cremation QuestionsWhen it comes time to start funeral planning, you may find that you have lingering questions about cremation. Yes, we all know that it provides a lower-cost alternative to traditional burial, and that the outcome—an urn of ashes—can be scattered or kept on the mantelpiece as a kind of memorial to the deceased.

But what about the details? When is cremation not recommended? How personalized is the process of transforming the body into ashes? And where can you go to find more information?

The following list of common questions should help provide a baseline of understanding the cremation process. For additional information, you should always contact a local funeral home or the Cremation Association of North American (CANA).

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Why It Makes Sense to Prepay for Cremation

Thursday, July 4th, 2013

Why It Makes Sense to Prepay for CremationPlanning a funeral in advance is often held up as the ideal way in which to approach your financial affairs. After all, when you pre-plan a funeral, you can make all the money decisions and funeral arrangements ahead of time, leaving your family free to deal with their loss without additional strain. From choosing your casket to buying a burial plot, you’ve got it all covered.

Preplanning a cremation is a bit different. Because a cremation doesn’t cost as much as a traditional funeral, and because the process tends to be simpler from start to finish, making advance arrangements for a cremation is not as common. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea. Here are a few reasons why we think prepaying for a cremation makes good sense.

  • You Want Cremation: Though widely accepted by most religions and families in the United States, cremation is by no means as mainstream as traditional burial. If you feel strongly about your desire to be cremated, it’s a good idea to do all the planning (and prepaying) yourself. This way, there will be no question about your wishes.
  • You Have Specific Plans: The thing about cremation is that it can be just as varied as traditional funerals. Do you want your ashes to be kept in an urn in a columbarium, or scattered out to sea? Do you prefer direct cremation with a minimal fuss? Would you like your ashes to be buried in a coral reef or shot into space? If there’s anything out of the ordinary that you want at your funeral, now is a good time to make sure it’s attended to.
  • You Have Questions: Although you can research cremation options online, there’s nothing quite like sitting down with a funeral director or funeral preplan professional to get all the answers. If you have any worries or concerns about the cremation process, about cremation costs, or about what it means for your family, talk with someone who can put you in touch with a reputable prepaid cremation provider.
  • Your Finances are Unstable: Because cremation typically costs less than regular burial, many people think it’s not as big of a deal to put it off until after death occurs. However, the lower cost of cremation also means that it’s more affordable to prepay. If your finances are in a questionable state, or if you can handle smaller, monthly payments more easily than a lump sum, it might be a good idea to prepay for services now.

Cremation is the right choice for a lot of people. Prepaying for a funeral is the right choice for a lot of people, as well. Combining the two can be a great way to save money, settle your affairs, and relieve your family of much of the pressures that accompany death.

Natural Burial in the United States

Thursday, June 27th, 2013

Natural Burial in the United StatesFuneral planning in the United States takes on a variety of different formats. Depending on religion, personal preference, and budget, you can end up with anything from a quiet, understated affair to a three-day funeral complete with a parade procession down the city center.

Natural burial is a movement in the United States that argues in favor of the belief that “less is more.” By burying the body directly in the soil (usually in a shroud or other highly biodegradable material), natural burial enthusiasts believe that they can help the body to recycle naturally and with less of an emphasis on material trappings.

How Natural Burial Works

In a natural burial, the land is altered as little as possible. This means no putting chemicals, hardwoods, or metal into the earth, as well as staying away from ornate headstones. Burial containers take the form of biodegradable coffins, shrouds, and other items that don’t take up natural resources, and the body’s contact with the soil is something to be celebrated, rather than avoided.

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The Cost of Cremation in Your Area

Tuesday, June 4th, 2013

The Cost of Cremation in Your AreaOne of the things we often talk about on this blog is how funeral costs vary depending on region. As is the case with almost any cost-of-living differences between large cities and smaller towns, or even state to state, burials and cremations are marked up differently. That’s because in addition to things like shipping costs, local business have to take into consideration things like state and city taxes, business licenses, operation costs, general overhead, and personnel.

How Expensive is Cremation?

Cremation costs are almost always less than traditional burial. Because you don’t need to purchase a plot of land (unless you’re burying the urn), and because an elaborate casket and body preservation techniques aren’t required, you can cut thousands of dollars off the total price tag of a funeral.

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Cremation Urn Alternatives

Thursday, May 16th, 2013

Cremation Urn AlternativesFuneral planning traditions exist for a reason—to provide a time-honored and familiar ritual for those who are lost in their bereavement. People derive quite a bit of comfort from familiarity, and even though funerals tend to be somber affairs, they provide a place for people to turn when they need it most.

So what do you do when it’s not tradition that brings you joy? What funeral options are available to you if you’d rather not perform the same rituals being done all over the world?

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Average Cremation Prices

Monday, April 15th, 2013

Average Cremation PricesIf you’re funeral planning on a budget, one of the first options that will be offered to you is cremation. Because less preparation goes into the process of cremation, and because there is no need to purchase a plot of land for the ashes, the costs associated with the process are lower.

Of course, that doesn’t mean a cremation can’t be expensive. Depending on the memorial service you choose and options like caskets and urns, cremation costs can move well into the $10,000 range.

Although every facility charges a little differently, here are a few averages in the cremation price list.

  • Full Service (this usually includes care and preparation of the body, transport, viewing, memorial materials, use of the funeral home, and any necessary rentals): $4,000 – $5,000
  • Rental Casket: $300 – $800
  • Cremation Container: $100 – $1,000
  • Cremation of the Body: $1,000 – $2,000
  • Urn: $100 – $1,000
  • Direct Cremation: $800 – $2,000
  • Direct Cremation with Memorial Service: $2,000 – $4,000
  • Graveside Service (if you plan on burying the urn or ashes): $1,000 – $2,000
  • Registry Book and Printed Materials: $50 – $200

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The Environmental Impact of Cremation

Thursday, April 11th, 2013

The Environmental Impact of CremationOne of the most common reasons to choose cremation over burial is because of the reputed environmental benefit. In an age when all of us are looking for ways to reduce our impact on the environment, cremation provides a quick and easy solution. Cheaper than a traditional funeral and increasingly more accepted in traditional funeral planning circles, cremation is fast becoming the preferred choice for today’s funeral consumers.

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What is the Difference between a Mortuary and a Funeral Home?

Friday, March 29th, 2013

What is the Difference between a Mortuary and a Funeral Home?When it comes to the funeral industry, there are more providers involved than most people realize. From hospitals and mortuaries to funeral homes and crematoriums, the disposition of a body requires careful processing and handling.

Most people are aware of the role a funeral home plays in traditional funeral planning proceedings. This facility, usually visible in the community, is your point of contact with the death care industry. Funeral homes employ funeral directors, who serve as the guide for your family’s decision-making process and provide you with the services and products you need. You can buy caskets, choose burial or cremation, pay for the funeral, and hold a service all on site.

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Is It Possible to Have a Viking Funeral?

Friday, March 8th, 2013

Is It Possible to Have a Viking Funeral?When it comes to unique funeral traditions, no one does it quite like ancient Vikings. We’ve all seen depictions of Viking funerals in movies…the longboats with the deceased laid reverently across the prow as a fiery arrow is shot to the deck, the rafts with huge pyres that burst into flames at sea. It’s romantic and dramatic and a proper sendoff for a warrior culture that so many people these days glorify.

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Funeral Planning Information: The Business of Selling Caskets

Wednesday, February 13th, 2013

Funeral Planning Information: The Business of Selling CasketsAlthough funeral planning has included coffins over thousands of years of human history (with ancient Egyptian caskets among the finest), the casket industry as we know it today is a fairly recent development. As is the case with almost all of our modern-day funeral traditions, the practice of using formal, wooden (or metal) caskets purchased from a funeral home for the express purpose of looking good goes back to the Victorian era.

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