As we all know, death is just as much a part of life as birth and living. Eventually, we will all face death and regardless to how much we try to put it off, it is going to happen sooner or later.
There is a widespread misconception that most people don't think about their own death, but that is not necessarily true. People do think about their own death. If that was not true, no one would bother about getting life insurance or buying prepaid burial plans.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently issued a report which stated that most people don't have a clue about funeral expenses and the report also states that a funeral can be the third or fourth most costly expenditure that a person we will ever pay.
It is estimated that the average cost of a funeral runs between $6,000 and $10,000 dollars. Of course, a funeral can cost more, much, much more, and there are those that cost less. Like everything else, the cost of funerals keep going up and if you haven't had to handle funeral arrangements lately, the costs may be somewhat of a shock.
How an individual is buried has a lot to do with planning and how the plan is carried out in the end. Planning should be taken seriously and calls for some research. The best information about funerals come from people who have recently buried a loved one. Some people may not want to share that information but many will gladly discuss the costs.
Most people try to buy and maintain life insurance policies in one form or another or pay for their funeral expenses in advance, especially if they have children. However, if you have a life insurance policy, you should make sure that it is enough to pay for all the costs. You may have bought your life insurance policy 30 years ago when funerals were much cheaper and now it may not be enough to cover all the basic expenses.
The worst case scenario is for family members to find that their loved one has died without life insurance or without the necessary money to pay for their funeral. This causes stress, disbelief, and in many cases, feelings of anger towards the deceased.
It may also cause friction between family members who must come up with the money to pay for the funeral expenses. Some may not have the money or may not be willing to help. This may cause a rift in a family that may last for years.
Also, most funeral homes are legitimate places of business and will help you through your time of grief, but you should understand that their business is to make money. They may try to sell you services that you may not want or need. Some expenses are unavoidable, but you should question all costs and you don't have to buy everything that they try to sell you. Just because there is an insurance policy, you don't have to spend all of it on the funeral unless it is necessary.
That's why planning for what is surely to come is so crucial to all of us, especially in today's economic climate. Planning proper funeral flower arrangements will be a part of the planning process. Nothing is more certain than death and everyone should make preparations. A good plan can make the grief that your family suffers a little more tolerable.