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Funeral HomesAn Expensive Part Of American CultureFor every death in Western culture, dozens of decisions about memorials, ceremonies, and disposition of the body follow. Because death is an uncomfortable topic in our culture, these decisions are too often made with little forethought within two or three days of a death. Worse, the decision makers are often grieving family members who are also harried as they disrupt their routines to travel for funerals and other somber functions. It’s no wonder that families often simply make one phone call to a friendly director at a funeral home and ask him or her to make all arrangements and send a bill, which is often paid, without challenge, from life insurance proceeds.
But in today’s consumer conscious world, there are also many options for those who want to keep funeral home charges to a minimum. On the other hand, for many, the death was unexpected, leaving them with no set plan and no budget for their loved one's memorial service. Here are a few tips from experts in the field: First, you should understand that most governments allow families to legally forego a funeral home’s services entirely. Several books have been written – and are likely available at your local library – that list permits and other legalities that must be in place for proper burial and disposition of a body. And, except for in a handful of American states, there is no requirement that a licensed funeral director be involved. (Colorado, in fact, is so lenient that it has no licensing requirement at all for funeral directors. That means anyone can call himself a funeral director in that state.) So, while few experts recommend entirely eliminating a funeral home’s services from your arrangements, knowing that you can legally do so can be a significant help in keeping funeral costs in check. Funeral homes can be of valuable help, but, if their prices get out of line, it is good to know that the “do-it-yourself” option is almost always available. And, in fact, many books and writers have noted that caring for your dead yourself can be an emotionally healthy, therapeutic experience, harkening back to the days – even in Western cultures – when embalming, for example, was often done by a family matriarch on a dining room or kitchen table in the presence of a handful of loving family and friends.
For information on saving money on funeral home charges, there is plenty help on the web. The Funeral Consumers Alliance is but one example. The United States Federal Trade Commission is yet another. |