Looking for a “low cost” or even FREE cremation service?

The single biggest issue when having to arrange a funeral is that we have very little to go on and to compare with.  It is very easy to compare grocery stores and restaurants, because these are businesses that we deal with on a regular basis.  Arranging a funeral is something that many people have never had to do, and therefore we are very trusting to the funeral home.  Make no mistake about it, funeral homes and funeral companies are businesses.  Think about the funeral director as a sales person, because that is what they are.  Funeral homes are interested into getting you to spend as much money as possible, and they are extremely good at doing this.  

It is important to decide what type of funeral you want before you even begin discussing things with a funeral home.  The first question is whether the deceased is to be buried or cremated.  If you choose burial as an option, remember that you will also need to purchase a cemetery plot, and these plots can be very expensive indeed.  Cremation is an option that more and more Americans are starting to opt for, because it should be much cheaper.  Before selecting a funeral home or cremation company to handle the funeral, phone several companies first and compare the costs.  You will likely find that the prices are very different between funeral homes.  

A great way to save on funeral expenses is to purchase items like the casket, urn or grave marker from other third party sellers.  Today you can actually purchase caskets from both Costco and Walmart, although you need to order from their web sites.  There are many other companies selling funeral products online, and these can often be great savings compared to the funeral homes prices.  Federal Law requires ALL funeral homes to accept funeral products bought from other companies, and they cannot charge you extra for doing this.  

Although most funeral homes will not mention this, it is possible to get a cremation for free.  Donating a body to science for research is one way of getting a funeral cremation for no cost.  The body is used for research by the medical profession, and the body is then cremated and the ashes returned to the family, with no costs incurred.  The whole process takes between 4-6 weeks and a memorial service can then take place, if chosen.

The message is simple, if you want to save money on funeral costs, do some research, compare prices, consider purchasing funeral merchandise from a third party seller, and even consider making an anatomical donation.  This way it is not only possible to save thousands of dollars on funeral expenses, you could even find that you could have a free cremation and a funeral that virtually costs nothing at all!