WAYS TO HELP A GRIEVING FRIEND OR RELATIVE
SHAKESPEARE WROTE, “WORDS CAN STING, BUT SILENCE BREAKS THE HEART.” RELATIVES, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS ARE OFTEN SUPPORTIVE AT THE TIME OF A DEATH AND DURING THE WAKE AND FUNERAL. SYMPATHY CARDS, FOOD, FLOWERS AND GUESTS ARRIVE TO EXPRESS CONDOLENCES AND SUPPORT THE BEREAVED. Read more
Why do Americans tend to spend so much on a casket? Well, you might want a grand display for a day or so. Some are even “more comfortable”—with an innerspring mattress and adjustable head-rest. More likely, however, low-cost caskets simply aren’t on display. Read more
Funerals are for the Living
Media and salespeople urge you to plan your funeral—for “peace of mind.” But a piece (or peace) will be missing if you have not included in the planning process those who are likely to survive you.
As parents we try to help our children learn how to handle money; we talk about our political values and probably even sex. Read more
FUNERAL SHOPPING: THE BASICS
If you’ve never planned a funeral before you might feel overwhelmed and not even know where to begin or what questions to ask. If so, you are not alone. In the early 20th century, Americans largely handed over the responsibility for caring for their dead to funeral directors. Read more
Perhaps your loved one is nearing death and you must find a funeral home quickly. Or you have decided to pick a funeral home for yourself long before it’s needed, to spare your family the ordeal of making this decision while grieving and pressed for time. Read more
How to Pay for a Funeral or Other Final Arrangements
First, be aware that you or your family will be responsible for paying the funeral bill. No charity will bail you out if you go into debt for a funeral. Take a realistic look at your budget, before calling a funeral home. Read more
Many people ask us about the costs to expect with a funeral, but they often forget that cemetery expenses are in addition to and separate from services you pay a funeral home or crematory to perform. Buying burial rights at a cemetery can be a complicated and costly process, and cemeteries aren’t sufficiently regulated in most states. Read more
FUNERAL SHOPPING: THE BASICS