Interring a loved one after their demise can prove to be a costly affair. So much that most people in the U.K. are going into debt to give their loved one a smooth and fitting send-off. About 16 per cent of Britons struggle to meet the cost of burying a loved one as funeral costs soar.
On average, it will cost you almost £4,000 to hold a funeral for a deceased member of your family. Most people often resort to taking out loans just to give their loved ones a fitting send-off. Most people avoid cheap or dubious funeral plans due to the fear it might appear disrespectful to the deceased, putting their finances at risk.
You can spare your family the pain of getting into debt to give you what they presume to be a fitting send-off.
Go out on your own terms
Once someone passes on, their family and friends start the burial arrangement. The funeral is often seen as the last step in the grieving process. As such, most burials take place within two weeks of the death of a loved one.
Given the current hard economic times, many treat such an event as an emergency. Signing up for a funeral plan spares your family and loved ones the hassle of going into debt. Since most of these plans are prepaid, they only need to show up for the funeral.
Ridding them of this extra financial burden allows your loved ones to grieve in peace while giving them the necessary closure. You can be as frugal or as extravagant with your funeral arrangement as you wish; that way you can keep your family members from agonising whether they made the right call.
Smooth transition over controversy
If you come from a conservative background or family but subscribe to a more liberal school of thought, it is essential to plan your funeral. Otherwise, leaving the decision to your immediate family might not give you what you would like as a fitting funeral. Such differences often lead to bitter legal battles that tear families apart.
Say, for instance, you are an outdoorsy person and do not wish to be interred in the cemetery. Instead, you want to opt for cremation and desire your ashes buried in a biodegradable urn. Such urns are designed to grow a tree from the ashes, essentially giving you a second lease of life, at least symbolically.
In some societies, such suggestions are likely to be met with stiff resistance and cause a huge rift between family members. Picking a plan before your death lets you have a funeral of your dreams. It is an excellent way to avoid disputes among your surviving family members.
A fixed funeral cost
As with a mortgage, breaking the final cost of your funeral into small monthly payments makes it easy on your pocket. You have the option of paying for the funeral plan in monthly instalments or as a lump sum. If you are hard pressed for money, you cannot go wrong with a monthly plan.
You can commit a small part of your income every month and raise the entire amount without breaking the sweat. The best part is that you can freeze the cost of your funeral. That is to say that you get all the trimmings on the package without paying an extra dime even when the prices increase in the future.
These are incredible ways to ensure that your family does not go into debt to cover your funeral. You prepare ahead of time, and you get what you want without being a burden to your family.
