Tanya in KS Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I am looking at what the costs of a funeral, burial, & tombstone are. I have a family member that is terminally ill & want to be realistic when the costs arise for this occassion. I don't want to be blind sided when the incident occurs. Thank you in advance. I know areas vary by costs but this is a starting point for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 First, :grouphug:s, as you deal with a loved one being so ill. From past research, the average cost for a funeral/burial/tombstone is around $8-10,000. I believe cremation is cheaper but I don't know by how much. Which is why we have life insurance on our kids. As much as one hates to think about it, we didn't want to have to worry about money if something horrible happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DianeW88 Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Wow, it really depends on where you live. My mother's funeral and burial were $23,000, if I recall. That was 7 years ago and she was buried on the east coast, which I know is probably the most expensive area of the country for that sort of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkwynn Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I believe cremation is cheaper but I don't know by how much. In north AL, this was about $1,000. DH's mother wanted to be cremated. Not what the OP was asking, but the only knowledge I have to offer on the subject... Sorry you're having to worry about this, at all. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jryanbass Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 First, :grouphug:s, as you deal with a loved one being so ill. From past research, the average cost for a funeral/burial/tombstone is around $8-10,000. I believe cremation is cheaper but I don't know by how much. Which is why we have life insurance on our kids. As much as one hates to think about it, we didn't want to have to worry about money if something horrible happened. Wow. I think this is really old. Here in Alabama, 2 years ago, a simple funeral (no flowers) and burial with NO headstone was $20k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Running the race Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 It really depends on the services you want. Preparing a body for a viewing costs extra. Caskets can be expensive. Cremation is less expensive. We actually went and purchased our own urn for my parents. I couldn't believe the cost at the funeral home and the quality was very low. Once you decide what the services you need, shop around. I know even Costco sells caskets here. Going through the funeral director is likely the most expensive way to go. Sorry that you are going through this, but you are smart to plan ahead. It was difficult being blindsided. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 My dad had a $30,000 funeral. He picked out the most expensive funeral home in Houston. Dh got him a wooden coffin handmade by monks in Louisiana. Then we had to have the body transported to Abilene so he could be buried next to his mother. I haven't bought the $3,000 headstone yet, but I intend to. The last time the cemetery called harassing me about it, I told them I was paying his taxes before buying his headstone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 (edited) I am looking at what the costs of a funeral, burial, & tombstone are. I have a family member that is terminally ill & want to be realistic when the costs arise for this occassion. I don't want to be blind sided when the incident occurs. Thank you in advance. I know areas vary by costs but this is a starting point for me. A basic cremation in the midwest is about $2000 (my grandmother died last winter). That did not cover other expenses for transport, the service, luncheon, tombstone etc. But I want to say they got the whole deal done for 5 to 6K. It was very simple. My parents brought in plants and donated them to the church. Edited August 8, 2011 by kck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OLG Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 You can buy caskets online MUCH cheaper than through a funeral home and have them shipped there often for free. If it is a closed casket, don't let them charge you for the make-up and all. If burial is immediate, embalming is not necessary ( within three days, I believe - embalming is a horrible process). Depending upon where the burial site is and flooding issues, you won't need the extra thousands they charge for a cement liner. You can order a headstone online too, often much cheaper. And on and on it goes. Funerals are outrageous expensive because folks are at their weakest often and just don't know when you can do without the entire package. I commend you on seeking advice now! I have done this twice recently... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 We spent about $15,000 in 2004, southern United States. That would be all the preparation, casket, viewing, burial in masoleum, pretty much everything. I'd say it was "middle of the line" for the area, not fancy but not low cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 You can get a casket from Costco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I'm sorry to hear that you are dealing with this. :grouphug: Another option to consider is natural burial: http://naturalburial.coop/USA/ Not sure how the prices compare w/ regular burial or cremation or if it would even be available in your area.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 (edited) We don't do funerals or ceremonies of any kind, it's a family way. Cremation for my father (Colorado) cost $800. Cremation for my mother (Atlanta) cost $800. There was 20 year time span between each. No formal urns either. My father's ashes were spread on a mountain, my mother's are in a china urn on the mantle. Have you asked your relative what they want? Edited August 8, 2011 by Geo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I don't know about costs, but last year both of my grandpas died from cancer. They both planned as much as possible ahead of time. I'm not sure what all they did, but I know they at least picked out flowers, the headstone, and casket. I remember it being a relief for family to not have to worry about these things once my grandpas passed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I am looking at what the costs of a funeral, burial, & tombstone are. I have a family member that is terminally ill & want to be realistic when the costs arise for this occassion. I don't want to be blind sided when the incident occurs. Thank you in advance. I know areas vary by costs but this is a starting point for me. Would it be possible to have a memorial service somewhere other than a funeral home? What I remember most vividly about some of our family's funerals is not the ceremony at the funeral home or graveside (which were usually typified by name's being mispronounced by clergy who didn't really know our relatives), but rather the wakes afterward, when family and friends shared stories for hours. Is there a way that the majority of the memorializing could happen at a family church or a social hall? FWIW, when my dh's grandmother passed away, her memorial was a picnic with catering from KFC, per her request. I am convinced that what is important is remembering your precious loved one, not spending tons of money to "do it right". The suggestions of the funeral home professionals will probably not be in this same vein. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 Funerals-$5,000-$8000, Cremation- $1,000-$2,000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mellee Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 I'm sorry your family is in this spot:grouphug: DH used to be a Funeral Director in SoCal before becoming a pool contractor (long story) the answer to your question will vary greatly determined by... region and services wanted My recommendation is to first decide what you want in the way of services... cremation/burial open caket/ closed casket church service/ graveside service flowers/ no flowers Then call the funeral homes in your area and ask for quotes over the phone. This is normal, they get several calls like this weekly. Yes, you can get caskets cheaper through Costco on online, beware that many funeral homes have found the way around losing the casket sale is to either have a higher service price or offer funerals with caskets included at one price and services offered on a more ala carte basis where you will essentially not get the "discount" should you bring your own casket. Also there can be handling fees. I know it is popular to think they funeral homes are gouging those in their time of need. It is a business, much like hospitals and I have known many FD's through the years and they really are some amazing people, especially when you consider what they see and do all day, every day...even holidays. When hubby was a FD he got called out to meet with a family grieving every Christmas but one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littleWMN Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I think my dad's burial expenses were $10,000. My mom went ahead and pre-paid for hers at the time (and forgot about it later, she was in shock) so her name is already on the headstone and her spot is reserved. She's since remarried but her husband was also a widower and they both agree they will be buried with their first spouses (they were both married over 40 years and lost their spouse to cancer). I'm so sorry you are in this position. I know the heartache. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Burial plots range a great deal in price. My husband's grandfather just passed away, and my husband made all of the arrangements. A basic (but nice enough) casket, a burial plot in a small, inexpensive cemetary and the funeral home costs (including a 2 hour visitation and a graveside service for family only the next day) ran about $7000-$8000, and this was very inexpensive compared to most. If you have a family plot and cremate (or choose to donate the body to science and then the remains are returned after cremation), the costs are much less. My mom chose to do this (donate her body to medical science), and she had to prepay $200. The medical school sent a respectable man in a suit to pick up her body after she passed away. We had to wait for about 9 months, and her ashes were returned to us in a little box. My dad paid for a marker, and she was buried in a family plot. We had a simple memorial service for her at our church, which was inexpensive - the costs were limited to food, etc. for the attendees after the service. That is optional. Cremation cuts out the need for a casket and embalming the body. Those are some things to consider. :grouphug: These are hard things to plan for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 When we buried my dad in 2005, it cost just over $11,000 for everything. That included a special casket because my dad was too tall for a standard one. It also included 2 simple headstones, as we buried my mother's ashes with him and wanted a stone for each of them. There was no cost for the grave plot, as my father was buried in a section of a churchyard that belongs to our family in perpetuity (or until space runs out, I guess). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 I think my dad's burial expenses were $10,000. My mom went ahead and pre-paid for hers at the time (and forgot about it later, she was in shock) so her name is already on the headstone and her spot is reserved. She's since remarried but her husband was also a widower and they both agree they will be buried with their first spouses (they were both married over 40 years and lost their spouse to cancer). I'm so sorry you are in this position. I know the heartache. :grouphug: Now that would creep me out, lol. I don't want to go to the cemetary and see my name on a headstone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 A basic cremation in the midwest is about $2000 (my grandmother died last winter). That did not cover other expenses for transport, the service, luncheon, tombstone etc. But I want to say they got the whole deal done for 5 to 6K. It was very simple. My parents brought in plants and donated them to the church. We did a very simple cremation and church memorial service for my father last year in Colorado for $2000. That included everything funeral related, plus a simple meal afterwards and donation to the church. We didn't have cemetery fees since he was a veteran and was interred in a national cemetery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I am looking at what the costs of a funeral, burial, & tombstone are. I have a family member that is terminally ill & want to be realistic when the costs arise for this occassion. I don't want to be blind sided when the incident occurs. Thank you in advance. I know areas vary by costs but this is a starting point for me. My mom's funeral, headstone, opening the site ( she had already bought the plot), paying the Rabbi, funeral director etc. cost around 11,000. Mil chose to be cremated, had a nice service in which our pastor spoke, and we bought a burial plot in a small church local graveyard...cost around $3000, all said and done. My mom and my dad's headstones cost about 1500 each. They are very simple, but elegant, on the smaller side, but they are matching. I know it is what my mother liked, because it is what she picked for dad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnificent_baby Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Best funeral body liquefaction is not so much high...in cost...and environment friendly too... reported Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Someone's dad just died (remember my thread on asking for $$ for a funeral?) and she reported that it cost a total of $15,000. They charged something like $3,000 to dig the grave and cover the grave???? I do know you can order caskets from Costco.http://www.costco.com/Common/Category.aspx?cat=20595&eCat=BC|20595&lang=en-US&whse=BC&topnav= and have them sent directly to the funeral home. The was the above person talked, it sounded like everything had an individual price.......the viewing hall charge, the funeral room charge, keeping the body overnight between viewing and funeral times charge, per day before burial charge, opening the grave charge, graveside service charge, etc..... Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB in NJ Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I am so sorry you're going through this. It's just so hard and painful... Mom died last May. Here are the costs: Funeral Home: $9933 This included preparing Mom for viewing, use of the facilities for visitation and funeral, transportation, casket, memorial cards, thank you notes, guest book, a deposit for the cemetery, clergy fee, and 12 copies of the certified death certificate. Cemetery: $1050 The actual total cemetery cost was $2350. $1300 was pre-paid to the funeral home. Headstone: $2000 Flowers: $400 Luncheon: $1500 TOTAL COST: $14,883 The funeral director is a friend of a friend, and he gave us a break on quite a few items. Had he not, the cost would've been about $20,000. The funeral was large, but the lunch was small (about 35 people). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 We also live in KS. We buried our ^dd^ a couple of years ago after she lost her fight with cancer. cemetary plot: $500 coffin: $1000ish (we purchased ours independently--there were several that were less expensive, but my ^dd^ actually wanted to choose her own coffin and that was the price of the one she chose) coordination with the funeral home: concrete vault (required for the coffin), opening and closing of the gravesite, transportation, etc.: $800ish gravemarker: purchased this independently---a large granite gravemarker with lots of engraving and a ceramic photo: $900ish If you are burying a child, the local funeral homes all offer a deal....the prices varied from $1200-2000 and that included everything down to the thankyou notes. We chose to go piecemeal for a variety of reasons I'm happy to discuss with you through pm. :) We made all of our decisions about a month before my dd died. It was very helpful to have a plan in place and to not have to make decisions right after her passing. FWIW, it took us about 6 weeks to get the death certificate completed and faxed in to the life insurance company, but all of the funeral homes were willing to wait to be paid without charging interest. (That was a surprising moment for us: learning that they charge interest(!) and offer financing...) I am happy to discuss any aspect of this that you want to....especially burying a child (which if I remember correctly may be the case in your situation). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 This is not the casket my daughter chose, but if you're looking at wooden ones, these are the most beautiful handmade wooden caskets. They have a donation program for families in need...and they offer overnight shipping. http://www.trappistcaskets.com/products/caskets/childrens-caskets/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 Sorry, I didn't realize that either. I apologize for any feelings this might've stirred up for you...:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Remington Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 Planting of tree is the best option for memory of your love one.......it is biodegradable process .....very less cost.....and permanent urn.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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