We get it—no one likes to think about their funeral arrangements. Yet it’s one of those things you can do that will give you some peace of mind and help those making the arrangements once you are gone.
You can work with staff from a funeral home who can help guide you on different decisions that are part of funeral planning. However, what we share here are just some of the considerations that are part of funeral planning.
6 Considerations for Funeral Planning
- What funeral home and cemetery do you want to use? Do you just want to use what business is closest to you or do you have a specific funeral home in mind? If you are a veteran, do you want to take advantage of any benefits at a veterans cemetery?
- Do you want burial or cremation? Cremation tends to be less expensive than burial, but costs can still add up. In fact, you can still have many components of a traditional funeral service with cremation if they bury your cremated remains in an urn or put them in a mausoleum. With both burial or cremation, you can have the most basic type of services or go all out in terms of a visitation, service, and more.
- What’s your budget? The median cost for a funeral in Florida with a traditional burial is $7800; for cremation, it’s $7,070, according to the insurance comparison website The Zebra. There are different ways to pay for a funeral, and you’ll want to discuss those options with your family and any trusted financial professionals that you use.
- What type of memorial service would you like to have? Nowadays, many people choose to have a celebration of life, which is a service that aims to have a lighter touch and be less somber than a traditional memorial service. Some people want a memorial service that is completely unique, such as one themed around a favorite sports team or a hobby. What special way do you want to be remembered? Or would you rather have a traditional memorial service?
- What music would you like played at your memorial service? For some people, this is not a big concern. For others, music plays such a vital role in their life that identifying the right music is a major issue. If you have specific music that you want associated with yourself, put it in writing, and let family members know.
- If you’re getting cremated, how do you want your cremated remains handled? Do you want them buried? Is it OK if your loved ones hold onto them? Or would you rather be scattered somewhere that’s special to you?
This list is by no means complete, and we can share more funeral arrangement considerations in a future article. Yet this should start to give you somewhat of an idea of all that’s involved with funeral planning.
It can be helpful to start to think about your preferences within these areas even before you meet with a funeral director. Discuss this topic with your loved one so others know in advance about your wishes.
Call Secure Aging to Find Out How We Can Help Seniors With Estate Planning Management
At Secure Aging in Bradenton, we transform the weight of the world into a sigh of relief for our senior clients and their concerned family members. The mission of Secure Aging is to protect and preserve our client’s independence and dignity through careful and thoughtful financial and care management. As our clients age, it is their desire to remain independent and age with dignity. Our services protect our clients from talented con artists looking to exploit and deplete the financial resources of our vulnerable seniors. Secure Aging helps families in Manatee County and Sarasota County and in and around the communities of Anna Maria, Bradenton, Bradenton Beach, Ellenton, Holmes Beach, Lakewood Ranch, Longboat Key, Myakka City, Palmetto, Parrish, and Sarasota. Call us at 941-761-9338, or visit us online at www.secureaging.com.
