When a loved one dies, you are faced with the difficult task of planning their funeral. This is an emotional time in life and you may find yourself spending more on the funeral than you had planned. This is because you want to honor your loved one in the best possible way. Honoring your loved one does not have to break the bank and you can pull off a nice, elegant funeral for thousands less than the regular price, just by being creative.

Casket

The casket is often the most expensive part of funeral expenses. There are so many caskets to choose from that many people choose the most elegant one for their loved one. This is the most important expense to become creative with and there are two ways to pull it off.

The first thing you should know when shopping for a casket is that funeral homes often mark up the cost of the casket as a convenience fee. To avoid these fees you can order your casket through the manufacturer or even a shopping club such as Costco or Sam's. It may seem crazy that these chains would sell caskets, but the savings are worth a look.

If you are on an extremely tight budget, you can rent a casket. This may sound crazy, but your loved one is placed in a cardboard container that is then set inside of the casket. When it is time for the burial, they will be lifted in the cardboard out of the casket and placed into the ground. This is a great option for those who wish to return to the Earth naturally.

Cremation

When it comes to choosing between a burial and a cremation, the choice is obvious for those on a budget. While the cost of a traditional funeral ranges in the thousands, the cost of cremation can be as little as a few hundred dollars. Even though the price of cremation is low, there are still ways to save on this expense as well.

Many crematoriums will return your loved one's ashes in a container that is marked as a temporary container. This is great for those who are ordering an urn and waiting for it to arrive, but not for those working on a budget. Ask the crematorium to return your loved one's ashes in a plain, unmarked, plastic or metal container. This will allow you to display the ashes without spending a fortune.

Viewings and Wakes

If you are planning on having an open casket viewing of your loved one, you will need to find an outfit for them to be dressed in. Many people find that the favorite outfit has either become too big or too small prior to the loved one's death. This often leads grieving families to the local mall to purchase a new outfit for the funeral. You do not need to do this. You can take the outfit you would like them to wear and the funeral directors, from places like Taylor Funeral Home, will make all necessary adjustments to insure the outfit fits them perfectly.