Title: 7 ways to save on funeral costs - MarketWatch
Headings: 7 ways to save on funeral costs
7 ways to save on funeral costs
Kaitlyn Wells
Comparison shop online
Skip embalming
Decline the “gasketed casket”
Opt for wood if it’s a direct cremation
Buy a casket or urn elsewhere
Consider a home funeral
Donate to a medical school
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Content: While the median cost of an adult funeral surpassed $7,000 in 2012, according to the most recent data by the National Funeral Directors Association, that’s an inflation-adjusted increase of only about 2% since 2000. And every detail can add to the bill — from choosing the flowers to deciding on a plot. Joshua Slocum, a spokesman for the Funeral Consumers Alliance, a consumer advocacy group, suggests that, to keep costs down, people treat funeral arrangements “the same way we treat other purchases” — by comparison shopping. Many consumers comparison shop for even minor purchases like a toaster, but you don’t hear about people doing the same for the many costs associated with funerals, Slocum says. Advertisement
Also see: Don’t get cheated at the funeral home
But most consumers don’t shop around when it comes to finding a funeral provider. After all, funerals typically takes place within a limited — and emotionally difficult — time frame, so many stick with the same provider that their relatives use. Experts say that’s the wrong way to go. Thus, to avoid the higher-cost funeral expenses that may incur during the time of death, funeral industry insiders recommend that consumers plan ahead for their own funerals or those of their loved ones, if possible. Doing so gives people the time they need to shop around and learn their rights.