Building A Better Business

Affordable Alternatives to the Traditional Burial

2 November 2016

Dennis Jenkins

The traditional burial process can easily add up to over $6000 once you consider all of the costs for preparing the body and purchasing a cemetery plot. There are a few alternatives that can help you to save money while still being a great send-off for your loved one.  

Prompt Burial 

Direct burial is when the body is buried, at most, a few days after death. This means that you can skip the embalming process and save money on that cost. Holding a proper funeral ceremony can be challenging with this method, since you'll only have a few days to notify the funeral home and gather people together for the burial. But you could elect to skip this portion and simply hold a memorial service for your loved one.

Home Burial

If you are still interested in having the casket and burying the body in a more traditional ceremony, you could save a little money by opting to bury the casket in your own backyard. You would be able to hold the memorial in your own home as well, since people will already be gathered there for the burial. The one thing to consider is that you may have to disclose the burial to future homebuyers, and that could devalue your property. But, if you live in a permanent family home, a home burial can be a great option for keeping the family together.

Cremation

Cremation services are a more versatile option, since it gives you much more time to decide how to do a send-off for your loved one. With cremation services, you can skip the costs of the casket and hearse altogether for your ceremony. You could also choose to hold a nontraditional funeral ceremony, such as a scatter-at-sea memorial service. You might be able to skip even the costs of the urn if you choose to bury the ashes directly in your yard or include them in some other kind of memorial.

Donation

Finally, donating the body to a reputable scientific research organization can be a great option if funds are limited. These centers will usually pay for the costs of transporting the body to their facility, which means that your costs will be reduced almost to nothing. This way, you can skip some of the most expensive parts of funeral planning and spend the money you do have on creating a memorable reception.

Talk to a company like Peninsula Funeral Home for more information. 

Share