A casket often is the single most expensive item you'll buy if you plan a "traditional" full-service funeral. Caskets vary widely in style and price and are sold primarily for their visual appeal. Typically, they're constructed of metal, wood, fiberboard, fiberglass or plastic.
$10,000 could certainly be enough for a funeral, depending on the nature of the ceremony and the area where you live. If you opt for a cremation and relatively simple ceremony, $10,000 would likely cover the cost.
If you cannot afford a burial or cremation, you can sign a form with the county coroner's office and the state will bury or cremate the body for you. This will be at no cost, but you won't have any say in where or how.
At funerals, any form of monetary support to the grieving family is appreciated. You can offer $100 or more, if you wish to offer help. But it all depends on your financial conditions.
You can expect the total cost of your funeral to range between $5,000 - $25,000, depending on the services your family chooses to go with.
Insurance, savings accounts, and prepayment plans allow customers to arrange funds for their funeral before their death. Assistance programs are available to help those in need pay for a funeral.
If there isn't any money in the deceased's estate, the next-of-kin traditionally pays for funeral expenses. If the next-of-kin aren't able or don't want to pay, there won't be a funeral. What happens if you refuse to pay for a funeral? The funeral home is not obligated to take custody of a body.
While the Bible doesn't explicitly endorse cremation, there's also no scriptural passage that directly prohibits it.
Social Security offers a one-time, lump-sum payment of $255 to assist with funeral costs, including cremation costs. Social Security's death benefit program was established in 1935 and the payment was capped in 1954.
Medicaid and state assistance programs
California offers several state-specific programs to assist with funeral and cremation expenses for low-income individuals. Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, may provide assistance in certain situations.
A common question that many families ask when planning funerals is: what type of honorarium should we give our pastor? In the markets that we serve the typical clergy honorarium that we see most often is $150. Again this figure can sometimes be more and sometimes be less.
First of all, cremations are known to be much more cost-effective as there are no gravesite fees, caskets, cemetery fees, or headstones involved. Second of all, cremations are better for the environment as there is no land needed and no space required.
Cremation is generally cheaper than burial
Flowers, venue hire and catering for the wake, as well as paying for the burial plot itself, are extra costs. The cost of cremation is lower for a few reasons including: There's no embalming of the person who's died, and families do not view the body.
Funeral expenses aren't tax deductible for individuals, and they're only tax exempt for some estates. Estates worth $11.58 million or more need to file federal tax returns, and only 13 states require them. For this reason, most can't claim tax deductions.
From a Christian perspective, people who have been cremated can certainly go to Heaven. First, the soul never dies, and when one accepts Christ as their personal savior it is the soul that receives eternal salvation and not the earthly body.
It's important to note that there are no explicit verses addressing cremation or the keeping of ashes. The Bible does not directly discuss these specific issues and there are different interpretations of what this silence might mean.
By many, cremation is considered to be more environmentally friendly than burial. Burial often uses harsh chemicals to embalm the remains for a funeral service. This has led many people to believe that these chemicals can seep into the ground where it contaminates the soil and water.
If the funeral home already has custody of the body and the family refuses to pay, the funeral home will pause all funeral services and planning, store the body in the cooler, and charge the family a storage fee for every day the body is there.
If your loved one has no assets or property, the next of kin will typically cover funeral costs. The next of kin will also handle arrangements. However, no one is legally obligated to pay for funeral expenses unless they sign an agreement.
If a funeral director picks up an unclaimed body and can't find the next of kin, they can either pay for the burial with the money provided by the state, and absorb the rest of the cost, or store the body in a refrigerated space, in hopes that a family member will eventually turn up.
In cases where there are no available funds, and your family is unable to cover the costs, the local government or municipality may provide assistance through what is often referred to as an indigent or pauper's burial program.
Discussing Rate or Gifts
When it comes to donations, this can either be a monetary donation, with $150-$200 often being the most common, or a gift.
There are several good options for lower-cost funerals and burials. Don't be afraid to shop around for funeral homes and negotiate prices. You can also talk with your funeral director about payment plans, deferring payment until after the will is sorted out and even resources that provide funeral financing options.