Death is a subject that most people do not want to talk about or even think of. Even though death is inevitable many people avoid the subject because they do not want to think of their own mortality. When you plan your own funeral you are in fact acknowledging that you will be dead one day which is scary for many.
However, planning your own funeral services also means that you will get what you want and for the price that you agree to pay which offers you and your loved ones some peace of mind. If you have been considering planning your own funeral for a while below we look at five reasons why you need to begin planning starting today.
You will get what you want
When you are planning your own funeral you can ensure that you receive everything that you want, plus you do away with what you do not want. In addition, you get the chance to decide what is done to your remains i.e. should it be buried, donated to science or cremated.
If your choice is to be buried you can pick your own plot, get your own mausoleum and even casket. If you want to be cremated you can choose if your ashes are placed in a columbarium which is basically a mausoleum dedicated to this precise purpose or should it be scattered as per state laws.
In addition, you also get to choose exactly what type of funeral services you get. For instance, you may request that all your loved ones throw a party in order to celebrate a life which was well lived with a casket without your body or you can opt for a traditional funeral service, along with a traditional viewing of the casket or perhaps something else.
Save some money
The vast majority of funerals are planned after the person has passed away and it’s done by friends and family members who are in the process of grieving the loss of a loved one. This is why the decision to pay $1200 for a quaint coffin or to pay $8000 for a large platinum, silk lined casket coupled with gold trims is often made from the heart and not always the head. So, by making these decisions yourself you’re ensuring that emotions do not play a role.
Also, if you plan ahead you can make sure that all your loved ones are well aware of any and all death benefits. Consider the fact that social security pays a onetime insurance amount, then there is veterans administration which is an added benefit for all veterans. Plus your church or trade union may also have a few benefits which you are entitled to. So, by planning ahead you will have all this information which you can then pass on to you loved ones.
Paying in advance
Even though it is not recommended to pay for any funeral services in advance it is still something you will want to consider. But you need to make sure that the company you are choosing to handle everything when you die will remain in business until the time comes. Alternatively, you will want to set aside some of the money in order to pay for the funeral. If it’s in a trust fund your cash reserves will continue to accumulate interest.
Reduce the burden on your family
It goes without saying that losing someone is very difficult. Then if you need to scramble in order to make funeral service arrangements and search for money to pay for everything things can get pretty hectic. So, by planning your funeral in advance you are in fact giving your loved ones a huge gift i.e. you are giving them the chance to focus and also celebrate your life without worrying about what needs to be done next.
Peace of mind
Once you have completed planning your funeral you will have the peace of mind knowing that when the time comes everything is in place. Leading funeral services like Australia based Heavens Own also strongly recommends that people plan their funerals in advance as much as they can to save their loved ones from the added burden of planning what to do next.
Citations:
- 5 Consumer Tips for Planning Funeral
Mark has been a funeral services director for over fifteen years. He started out as a young man working for a leading service in Sydney. Today, he runs one of the leading services in the city responsible for the funereal services of dozens of people each year. He is a strong advocate of planning a funeral in advance to same time and money.
