High cost of dying

[Macfrommichigan]

A former neighbor passed away a week ago. I went online, typed in his name, the name of the funeral home. At the site there was an option to download a price list for funeral home services.

Golly, and I thought my optometry office was good at upcharge options!

Everything at the funeral home is an upgrade. Even if you want to cremate Uncle Donald in the least expensive way...bring your own container, because a cardboard box at the funeral home is an extra $250.

Oy.

 

[Rhody]

Im unfortunately familiar with a low budget creamation. I think it was around 1700
No calling hours. Nothing provided. Im also unfortunately familiar with a higher end, obituary, cars, service, casket liner (concrete liner? Talk about up charging)
I think the reasonable thing is to pre pay this stuff rather than leaving it on others. But talk about a downer. Better to fund a policy to pay for it all

 

[simon1]

Yup, it used to be only $4,000 or $5,000 not that long ago. When Mom recently passed it was over $10,000 and the casket and liner surprised me on the price. She did have a burial plot already purchased next to Dad though. Thank goodness she kept Dad's retirement invested and had way more than enough to pay for it, and also leave me a real good inheritance.

This reminds me...I really, really, really need to get a will done. No probate court then.

 

[dfoulk]

Funerals are expensive and it's not like you're in any position to price shop them when you're grieving. They know this and they take advantage of it.

My Aunt and Uncle went and made all of their arrangements themselves ahead of time and everything is done and paid for already. That way the kids don't have to worry about it and they can't screw it up. The Gravestone is there with their names on it already. The only thing missing is the date of their death that'll be filled in later on.

My Aunt put a picture of their Gravestone on the fridge to remind my Uncle not to eat so much. There's a scale there next to the fridge as well. I went over there and he's like "Wanna see my next home?" It's good that they have a sense of humor about it.

 

[simon1]

I just need to figure out where I want to be buried and get a plot and headstone. I don't think I want here as family is in N.E. Oklahoma, but wife's relatives are all over Texas. It's a quandary.

With the $20,000 life insurance policy wife has on me at work and the $50,000 annuity I have separate from my other investments that should be plenty. I'm not in a big hurry to find out how much mine will cost.

 

[davent]

Was an ad in our local daily the other day for cremation, breakdown of all the various cost, the total was ~$2500 cdn, pretty bones affair.

Are natural burials becoming a thing in the US, seem to be breaking ground up here.

Likewise on the will business, one day tomorrow's not going to happen.
dave

 

[Rhody]

Was an ad in our local daily the other day for cremation, breakdown of all the various cost, the total was ~$2500 cdn, pretty bones affair.

Are natural burials becoming a thing in the US, seem to be breaking ground up here.

Likewise on the will business, one day tomorrow's not going to happen.
dave

natural are becoming a thing in the us but i dont think a cost savings issue

 

[Traveling Man]

I have a buddy who owns a third-generation family mortuary, so he and I have had many discussions. Prepaid is the way to go. Let's say you lock in what you want now for $5,000. You don't die for 40 years, and in that time, the price of a funeral quadruples. Your family still doesn't pay any more.

 

[Bakker1964]

Yup, it used to be only $4,000 or $5,000 not that long ago. When Mom recently passed it was over $10,000 and the casket and liner surprised me on the price. She did have a burial plot already purchased next to Dad though. Thank goodness she kept Dad's retirement invested and had way more than enough to pay for it, and also leave me a real good inheritance.

This reminds me...I really, really, really need to get a will done. No probate court then.

In Ontario, so long as your financial accounts have named beneficiaries, there is no probate.

 

[Acmemfg]

Funeral expenses for my Dad (2016) totaled about $2,000 in all. That was for the cremation and all the documents necessary.
Services at Sts. Peter & Paul Basilica in Chattanooga....donation only.
Graveside services and burial niche..no charge. Courtesy of the VA.
Available to all Veterans.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Costco sells urns. $89 and up.

They also sell caskets in 37 states.

 

[Toothpick]

I just listened to a podcast on this a few months ago. It was interesting to say the least. Anyone can be buried at sea. I didn’t know that. You have to be at least 3 nautical miles from shore and an ocean depth of at least 600ft. Which 600ft depth might put you at over 50 miles out on some coastlines.

Some folks want the natural thing and that is indeed becoming a thing. 2-3 feet down and you are naturally recycled. There are places where they just lay your body out and let nature do the rest. Like in some countries they call it a Sky Burial. Lay you out and let vultures feast.

You can also donate your body to science. No burial costs involved there.

If you want the casket and funeral and whole 9 yards they said the average cost is 10k IIRC.

Just burn me. Or whatever. I don’t care. Dead is dead.

 

[Bakker1964]

For cremated remains they basically use a post hole digger and go down about 3 feet. Surprised me, as I had always thought they needed to get below the frost line. Apparently not.

 

[Lightcs1776]

Funeral expenses for my Dad (2016) totaled about $2,000 in all. That was for the cremation and all the documents necessary.
Services at Sts. Peter & Paul Basilica in Chattanooga....donation only.
Graveside services and burial niche..no charge. Courtesy of the VA.
Available to all Veterans.

Yep, every military retiree earns their burial. It will save some cash, although my wife was never happy about the months away.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Toothpick]

The VA gave us $250 for burial expenses. My dad didn’t retire but served in Vietnam. Died from exposure to Agent Orange. “Sorry bout that. Here’s $250”. They can suck an egg

 

[James Darmody]

My dad told be to shove him in a rubbermaid container and bury him wherever.

 

[Joshua223]

I began working in insurance this year and more and more I'm seeing the importance of having protection for yourself and your family. If a person has a spouse and/or children it is vital. There are even final expense plans for people that just want to make sure their family isn't left paying for anything.

Burial expenses are crazy and the markup on caskets is ridiculous. They aren't nearly as strong or durable as people think. Part of me wants a grave marker, but part of me just wants to be cremated and let nature do the rest. Those vaults they enclose the caskets in can and do fill up with water.

 

[Doc4]

My family has my permission to leave my corpse next to a very large ant hill, and spend the cost of a funeral on my grandkids' college.

 

[Doc4]

The VA gave us $250 for burial expenses. My dad didn’t retire but served in Vietnam. Died from exposure to Agent Orange. “Sorry bout that. Here’s $250”. They can suck an egg

Well, that has improved from the Army's attitude in 1918 ...

"your relative's corpse was last seen sinking into the mud in Flanders somewhere. We can loan you a shovel if you want to go look for him."

 

[Raissermesser]

I began working in insurance this year and more and more I'm seeing the importance of having protection for yourself and your family. If a person has a spouse and/or children it is vital. There are even final expense plans for people that just want to make sure their family isn't left paying for anything.

Burial expenses are crazy and the markup on caskets is ridiculous. They aren't nearly as strong or durable as people think. Part of me wants a grave marker, but part of me just wants to be cremated and let nature do the rest. Those vaults they enclose the caskets in can and do fill up with water.

The important part of the vault is the metal liner inside the concrete. According to one funeral director, after you get above the bottom grade, all have the same thickness of liner. The liner thickness tends to be displayed, so it's easier to compare. After that, you're paying for extras. Some go into a name on the outside of the vault and a bit of fanciness there, but who'd going to see it after the service? Very few will even see it at graveside.

The purpose of vaults is really grave integrity. Anyone who'd visited an old cemetery has seen the results of not having a vault, especially in sandy soil. They can collapse, leaving a cracked slab or a hole in the ground. Burrowing animals can also get into graves without vaults.