According to reports from the National Funeral Directors Association’s yearly Consumer Awareness and Preferences Study, about 62.5% of Americans feel that it’s quite important to express or communicate their plans for their own funeral in advance. However, only 21.4% of people who say this have done that exactly. Maybe it’s because people are not comfortable discussing funeral plans in advance.
Is it really because most people find it awkward or dire to talk about one’s own death, or is it because most people think that it’s not necessarily urgent? If you’ve yet to express your own wishes or plans for your own funeral someday, here are five practical reasons why pre-planning arrangements are advisable. Consider these if you’re planning for your own or a loved one’s funeral arrangements in Taylorsville.
1. It’s practical to stick to a budget
In the play Avenue Q, a famous line in one of the songs goes like this, “Except for death and paying taxes, everything in life is only for now!” While this is quite true, it’s a bit assuming to think that even in sorrow, your surviving family has to deal with related taxes, like estate tax. And if you don’t want to burden your family with debt, you might want to be practical and set up a budget for your own funeral service someday. While you still can, be smart and proactive in making your own decisions so you don’t pass the money woes to surviving relatives when the time comes.
2. You decide on the form of disposition
What form of final body disposition do you prefer? There’s the traditional burial wherein the body is buried in a gravesite. There’s also a natural or “green” burial wherein people are given the option to be eco-friendly even after death. There’s also cremation and alkaline hydrolysis (flameless cremation).
3. Choose the type of flowers and/or donations you want
Nowadays, people are given more options to personalize their own sendoff while they still can make the decisions themselves. In recent years, some people choose to request or send something else in lieu of flowers. Pre-planning your own funeral service someday allows you to make requests such as asking attendees to donate to your chosen charity instead of buying flowers.
4. You can help your surviving family save money
Caskets can be quite expensive. Paying for one in advance can help save money in the long run, but did you know that you can also rent a casket for viewing if you plan for cremation anyway? Some people opt for an urn for the viewing. If you make an appointment to discuss funeral arrangements, you’ll find that there are many options afforded people who choose to plan ahead and it involves options for saving money while still getting the type of service you want.
It’s understandable that many people don’t want to talk about death, but it’s practical to let your wishes known and make decisions while you still can. So go ahead and be proactive about your future funeral arrangements.
