Dying, or at least its aftermath, can be very expensive and upsetting for those around you. It can be a real burden for your family and friends to manage your demise if you don’t take a few steps to prepare them for it. Fortunately, there are more options than ever (see “You’re dead. Now what …“)
Here are a few resources that can help you get everything in place now so it’s there when it’s needed.
Funerals
Funerals don’t have to be lavish and expensive but you need to plan ahead, insist on an itemized price list, and compare prices, just as you would for any big-ticket purchase. Read more.
Memorial Services
Memorial services make life a lot easier for those left behind by a death in the family. They are generally much less expensive than a funeral, can be arranged in a more leisurely manner and are often much less formal and more personal than a traditional funeral. Read more.
Cremation
Cremation is now the leading choice of American families, having quickly displaced the traditional embalming/steel coffin mode. Choosing cremation doesn’t mean you can’t have a traditional funeral or memorial service but it gives you much more control over costs, timing and format. Read more.
Green Burial
What’s old is new again. What’s now called “green burial” is how humans have been buried for, well, just about forever and now it’s becoming popular again after going out of style for the last 150 years or so. Read more.
Composting
Composting is an old as the earth but has not been an accepted method of processing dead bodies. That is about to change, as a Washington State company brings its patent-pending process to market. Read more.
Whole Body Donation
Looking to do one last good deed? This can be it. Besides advancing the cause of science, you’ll save your family burial or cremation costs. Read more.