December 2,2002
By Joe Owner

Funeral Costs

United States cemeteries are by and large private which means they can make their own rules and costs They are however regulated by a Cemetery Board, if you have questions.Funeral homes and cemeteries will choose what may be most profitable to them, like mandating families to purchase an outer burial container for use and protection of your casket. This is why end-of-life care in the U.S is not just emotionally taxing, but financially too. In fact, providing their loved ones with the funeral they desire can be near impossible for many U.S families. The median cost of arranging a funeral with a burial and viewing comes up to $8,960 according to the National Funeral Directors Association and that’s without the purchase of limos, flowers, memorial packages and church services.

Reduce Funeral Cost by Selecting the Right Funeral Plan, to fit your budget.

If one desires burial with a cement vault , a requirement for most U.S cemeteries, the cost bumps up to $9,400. Funeral homes usually charged an additional 2.5 percent markup on outer burial containers.

Why are funerals so expensive?

Think about all that goes into a funeral: the casket with silk pillows, velvet lining, gold handles, wreaths, candles, and catering. For a private viewing to say goodbye, embalming a body costs on the average $895, cosmetics average about $395. This comes up to over $1300 before the funeral has begun. There are also Funeral Home ‘requirements’ to deal with. When entering a funeral home immediately ask for a general price list, outer burial price list and casket price list. There are laws in place to protect the consumer.
In addition, most funeral homes require that the bodies be embalmed before their viewing in the casket. Morticians are also taught at mortuary school that embalming bodies are a necessity if you have an open casket viewing. If you would like a closed casket, embalming is not necessary, but your loved one needs to be buried/cremated within a 72 hour time frame.

How to cut funeral costs?

Funerals do not have to cost so much. The simple solution to cutting your funeral costs is only paying for what you need or want, and not additions that you do not require. The loss of a loved one is a vulnerable time for the family of the deceased, and it can seem like making decisions needs to be quick and efficient.One way to help cut costs , is buy a casket online from a reputable company such as www.casketemporium.com Also we have memorial programs and outer burial containers as well. Another way to help cut costs, is speak with Casket Emporium and one of its license Funeral Directors on staff and they will guide you through the process and show you were to save. Other online companies , do not have any funeral home experience and cannot help you save. We at Casket Emporium can help you save not just on caskets but on the actual funeral bill, you can email your contract, bill and we can highlight the overcharges.

To finalize

Funeral planning is both emotionally and finally taxing, but if you do your homework, you can budget your expenses well. One viable alternative is online caskets, which, through retailers like www.casketemporium.com can be 50/70 percent less than the caskets you find in funeral homes. Join the tens of thousands of Americans and Worldwide customers that have been serviced with our high-quality caskets and cost-effective prices with personal delivery on time, damage free and just like the funeral home same day delivery. Call www.casketemporium.com for any help with funeral arrangements and caskets.