While most people have, at one time or another, attended a funeral, planning one is another matter altogether. With that in mind, there are a number of tips to make sure every base is covered as you say goodbye to a loved one. Heed the advice below.
* While it’s common for Funeral Homes in Lakewood Wa to allow the family time to view a body before the actual viewing time, make sure of it! You want to make sure everything is right before everyone parades past.
* Keep in mind cemetery costs are separate from those of Funeral Homes in Lakewood Wa, although the funeral home is often a go-between for the family and the cemetery. When discussing this with the representative from the funeral home, make sure you can clearly identify the cemetery fees and how and when they should be paid.
* Obituaries are a common way to let the public know of your loved one’s passing. However, when you list the day of the funeral, criminals are often waiting in prey. So, have a non-family member plan to stay at home during the funeral to give the home a presence.
* Caskets are more important to some people than others. If the type of casket is not important to you or your loved one and you’d like to save money, ask about the cremation casket. These are less expensive and cannot, by law, be limited to only cremations.
* When you plan to have a “viewing”, most funeral homes require the body be embalmed. However, if there is no viewing planned and the body will be buried shortly after the death, families can often avoid this cost, saving hundreds of dollars.
* Families are encouraged to hold on to all receipts when it comes to funeral planning, transportation of the family to and from the funeral, food and professional assistance. This can be used to cut down on the inheritance tax.
Many families feel a funeral is not a time to be cutting costs, after all, that’s what the insurance money is there for. However, there’s never a need to pay more than you have to. The old adage of look after the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves certainly applies in these situations.
