Preparing and planning a funeral is never easy; however, people look to minimise their family’s stress by opting for a prepaid funeral or prepaid cremation service.
Whether you’ve heard of cremations only services, or if this option for sending off a loved one – or indeed planning ahead of time for yourself – is new to you, we’re going to look at closer detail at the processes of organising a prepaid cremation. So you can be fully informed and make decisions that best suit your circumstances.
As well as saving your family stress and the cost, there are also financial benefits to prepaying for cremation. A prepaid cremation can reduce your cremation’s overall cost or allow you to pay in instalments over time. Some crematories and funeral homes offer a discount if you pay in advance.
Usually, a prepaid cremation means signing a contract with a crematorium or funeral service provider. The agreed contract will state the type of service you’re paying for, as well as who is entitled to redeem the service on your behalf.
Why Choose A Prepaid Cremation?
There are money factors as to why you would wish to prepay for your cremation arrangements or those of a loved one. But the most common reason is to remove the stress to save your loved ones time and money.
Alleviate stress
By opting to prepay, you alleviate the stress and unnecessary question of how to pay, or who will pay, for your or your loved one’s departure. This ultimately saves time and money.
They don’t have to worry about the arrangements you will have already made them. This way, they can focus on grief and celebrating and remembering your life. As morbid as it sounds, death is, unfortunately, one of life’s certainties, so it makes sense to plan for this.
Time to organise the details that matter
Also, you get to make all the decisions about your funeral arrangements, down to the tiniest detail. The venue, the music, the flowers, and everything else will be your choice. This will be a relief to your family, as they won’t be left guessing or possibly arguing about what you would want.
Protect loved ones from rising costs
As well as this, you protect your family from inflation costs.
If you choose cremations only services, by selecting and agreeing on a cost with a cremation service provider, you will agree to today’s prices and protect against rising costs in the future for when the time comes.
Another financial benefit of prepaid cremation is that you can pay over time. The cost might be higher overall, but the financial burden upfront is lower.
What To Be Aware Of?
When arranging for a prepaid cremation, certain eventualities are to be aware of in the case of what could happen after you’re gone.
Lost in communication
It is good to make these arrangements; however, your family must know these arrangements or have already agreed on what is to happen. Otherwise, if no one knows, the work planning and money paid may go to waste.
Products and services change
The services and products agreed may have changed. In this case, be sure you have planned for every eventuality and that this is documented.
The provider goes out of business
The service provider could go out of business. When this happens, it’s unlikely that you or your family will receive a notice or refund. So again, be sure that you have informed the family of any plans you have agreed.
How Much Does It All Cost?
Well, that’s the thing when it comes down to cost, that’s up to you! You have the power to choose how much or how little you want to pay. Cremation service providers will have a range of packages, but ultimately, the choice is yours.
However, please ensure you shop around and look at cremation service providers whose services align with your beliefs and who can offer you the best deal. This is an important process and one you want to make sure you’re treated with respect and transparency.
In Summary
Preparing for the end is never easy, but if you wish to help and support your family by planning ahead, use a prepaid service provider.
Organising a prepaid cremation alleviates a lot of the emotional and financial burden that other services can incur! If you’re setting this up for yourself, then it means you know that your family won’t need to worry about the financial strain or emotional impact of organising your celebration when the time comes.
If you’re organising a prepaid cremation for a loved one, then it means you can focus on enjoying these precious times without the stress or worry of how you might be able to send off your loved one in a way that best celebrates them.
You are not only removing the emotional trauma that can come from arranging your funeral, but it is a very generous and thoughtful thing to do.
