Tips for Containing Final Services Expenses

A death in the family has a way of catching everyone off guard. Even if the death comes on the heels of a terminal illness where the outcome was expected, it can still be hard to deal with the finality of it all. This is all the more the case if you were particularly close to the deceased. But when death occurs and you must scramble to plan and pay for a Shakopee, MN cremation or funeral, what can you do if you don’t exactly have the money on hand to pay for it? 

Fortunately, there are lots of things you can do to get the money you require to give your deceased family member a final send-off that is special. Here are some recommendations. 

Make a Realistic Budget 

This may very well be the most important consideration. After you consider your financial means, you and your loved ones can decide how much you can afford to pay. This will enable you to find a funeral home or crematory that is able to accommodate both what you want and what you can afford to pay. If you find the right funeral director, you’ll see that they are willing to work with you -- within your budget -- to find a solution that will meet your needs. 

Savings 

While you may not want to access your savings account to pay for final services, doing so might be a good way to pay for the cremation or funeral. Otherwise, you might have to take on debt. It’s always a good idea to have a rainy day fund that you can draw on when needed. Just be sure not to use all of it at once since you don’t want to leave yourself high and dry. 

Will 

With any luck, the deceased will have prepared a will before passing away. Some people stipulate in their will that a portion of their estate should be used to pay for their cremation. It will take a load off of your and your loved ones if plans of this nature are already in place. 

Life Insurance 

Again, with any luck, the deceased will have gotten a life insurance policy beforehand. It’s not uncommon for people who get life insurance to allocate some of the payout upon their death to be used to cover the body disposition service and anything else connected to the event. 

Cremation 

It’s well known that you can potentially save a lot of money if you go with cremation over traditional burial. So if you want to keep costs low while still having a respectable body disposition, then it makes sense to contact a funeral home or crematory about arranging a cremation. But if you want to save money with cremation, you need to be selective about any extras since they will increase the final bill. Direct cremation, which is the least expensive form of cremation, will guarantee you a cost-effective body disposition since it strips out the extras. 

Pool Resources 

Families should come together when there’s a death close to home, and this includes pooling your resources together so that as many people help with footing the bill for final services. 

Scott County Cremation can provide the Shakopee, MN cremation you want for your deceased relative. We specialize in direct cremation – a no-frills, no-extras body disposition option that will save you money without cheapening the overall experience. Call us at (952) 402-9000 or visit us at 833 Marschall Rd Shakopee, MN 55379 for more details.