Planning a funeral is never a fun task. Grieving for your loved one, whether a family member or a close friend, doesn’t have to be followed with the hassle of thinking about how much money you need to spend. Unfortunately, it is something that one needs to consider when making all the funeral arrangements.
A funeral can be as cheap or as expensive as you wanted to be. It is not supposed to be something that one should think too much about. A family can decide, based on their budget, to make as extravagant or as minimalistic funeral as they wanted it to be.
Organizing a funeral in London is no picnic. The costs can ramp up to £18,325, as reported by Funeral Flowers for a burial plot in Highgate, which are the most expensive ones in London.
Going expensive and extravagant
There are many things that add up to the cost of a funeral. If you take a look at how some notable celebrities were transferred to the afterlife you will get a clearer picture of how expensive funerals can get. For instance, a pop-star like Michael Jackson was buried at a cost of $1 million.
Going really extravagant for a funeral means adding extravagant things. A gold plated cast is one such thing. The costs can ramp up from £6,000 to £19,999.
Transportation is a big issue as well. You are not only supposed to transport the casket of a deceased to the burial site, but you are also transporting some closer friends and family. Getting a limo or a Bentley will certainly add to the costs and if you decide to go for a horse-drawn hearse the costs will only continue to pile on.
Finally, there are catering costs to consider! Some food and drink have to be provided during the wake of the reception that comes after the funeral. Going all out and it can greatly increase the cost of a funeral.
Going simple and on a budget
People who are not that well off do not have to throw a fancy funeral. Why should you?
Buying a simple and eco-friendly coffin is what most people are all about today. Cheaper materials can lower the cost and if you use eco-friendly ones you can also protect the environment as well.
You may have not known, but there are alternatives when choosing a burial spot – meaning that you don’t have to bury somebody only in a cemetery. Owning an enormous outright with a mortgage qualifies you for one such alternative option. It is a lot cheaper and you don’t have to pay the large cemetery plot fees as you are basically using your own property.
Finally, the catering doesn’t have to be so extravagant and you don’t have to book an expensive catering service. You can make certain items yourself or ask some of your relatives to help you and bring some.
How can one save on a funeral?
One of the ways to save money is by considering headstone options. Most people in Britain consider headstones as a traditional way of marking the grave of the person. However, it is also an expensive one.
Headstones go somewhere between £1,500 and £4,000. But a grave market is as cheap as £800.
Flowers are an easy way of saving on funeral costs. You do want everything to look good and to remember the person you are burying in the brightest of ways so the flowers help a lot. People usually spend between £400 and £600 on flower arrangements for a funeral.
You can’t have flowers without wreaths. However, wreaths are usually displayed on the casket of the deceased. They usually cost between £400 and £600 apiece, but you can get them for as low as £80 to £160 a pop.
Cheap funerals in Britain
Like we said, organizing a funeral is not something that most people look forward to. The added costs make things even worse. Although all countries, not just Britain have their notorious and ridiculous prices when it comes to burials.
London is specifically expensive and you wouldn’t like to pay for all the funeral costs there. However, people from Northern Ireland can at least hope for the least expensive funeral costs in the United Kingdom, which amounts to £261 the lowest.
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