They were very difficult conversations, but when your wife passed you were thankful that they were discussions that you had. No one really wants to talk about funeral costs and wishes, but if you do not take the time to have these difficult conversations you may find yourself struggling to make decisions by yourself.
Perhaps because of these reasons, it should come as no surprise that 89% of Harris Poll survey respondents indicated that they feel a discussion about their wishes concerning end-of-life would be meaningful. In fact, there are as many as 69% of Harris Poll survey respondents who admit that they would prefer to prearrange their own funeral service.
Finding the Right Funeral Home Sometimes Requires a Little Shopping Around
Affordable funerals and cremation services are a result of families realizing that they need to be consumers, even when it comes to life decisions about dying. In fact, it is possible to make sure that you make the best decisions about planning a funeral if you start the process of planning a funeral long before it is necessary. From the price of coffins to urns to headstones and cemetery plots, the best prices are often available to a person who is making decisions months, maybe years, before the decisions are put into action.
There are many deaths, of course, that are completely unexpected, and when a young child or teenager is killed in a car accident it only makes sense that family members are caught off guard and can find themselves struggling to make decisions at funeral homes and cemeteries. In the case of older adults and couples who have been married for years, however, it is common for some of these expenses and specific wishes to have already been discussed.
Admittedly, nearly 65% of people over 40 indicate that funeral directors and funeral homes are the best source of information for making funeral arrangements and discussing funeral costs. When you take the time to meet with these representatives long before their services are needed, however, you can find yourself more able to have difficult conversations about cost, about wishes, and about financing.
The steps to planning a funeral are outlined on the websites of many funeral homes. Similar to planning a wedding, there are many practices that are common, but that does not mean that you have to plan a service that is like everyone else’s. The best way to make sure that your family is prepared and for your funeral, and funeral costs, to be according to your wishes is to have candid, although often difficult, discussions.
