Pre-paying funerals

[DoubleF]

IMO, I'd only consider pre-paying if a whole life insurance policy wasn't possible and I'm on the cusp (like less than 2-3 years so unlikely to change mind much) of needing the thing done.

I mean, pre-purchasing the asset side (plot etc.) if you are wanting to be buried somewhere specific perhaps makes sense (ie: Finite supply of a specific space/location), but not for the service side of the whole ordeal IMO.

[CroFlames]

Don't particularly like this topic.

But I'm wondering what is the most environmentally friendly way to deal with the problem of death that is both realistic and dignified?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Don't particularly like this topic.

But I'm wondering what is the most environmentally friendly way to deal with the problem of death that is both realistic and dignified?

https://www.cnn.com/2017/05/03/world...ndi/index.html

Capsula Mundi is an egg-shaped pod through which a buried corpse or ashes can provide nutrients to a tree planted above it.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Don't particularly like this topic.

But I'm wondering what is the most environmentally friendly way to deal with the problem of death that is both realistic and dignified?

Green Burials:
https://www.calgarymemorial.com/green-burials.html

Water Cremation (alkaline hydrolysis):
https://www.cremationassociation.org...linehydrolysis

https://www.navigator.law/blog?p=cremated-remains

Families are now implementing many new and creative methods to honor the deceased person in the disposition of their ashes:
- There are companies that create diamonds from the remains by treating the ashes under high heat
and pressure
- Ashes can be launched into space in earth’s orbit
- Ashes can be transformed into vinyl records
- Ashes can be made into tattoo ink
- Remains can be deposited in containers on the seabed

[CaptainCrunch]

I figure the cost of a catapult and 4 sticks of dynamite should do it.

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by MoneyGuy

My father-in-law’s funeral was pre-paid and held a couple of weeks ago. Finally! My wife wants us to pre-pay our funerals and related costs but these are my concerns. (Both of us want to be cremated; her dad was cremated.)

- What if we pre-pay and (although unlikely) we move to another city or province? What if the funeral home is not located where we live?
- What if we change our minds about cremation? That may not be an issue as pre-payment can likely likely be applied to any service type.
- One of the reasons for pre-payment is to remove the financial worry from a spouse or children. Money will not be an issue for us.
- What if the funeral homes goes out of business? I’m guessing that your money is held in secure trust which should protect your funds.

I want my funeral to be simple and low cost. I’d love for my ashes to be used to fertilize a tree or made into something like a memorial bench. What are people’s thoughts on funeral pre-payment?

My brothers Father in law did this. He passed away back in May. He had planned and paid for his funeral a few years earlier. My brother, who is often very critical said everything went well. although he was in his 80’s, his death was quite sudden this took a lot of stress off of his widow and kids. He had his pullbears picked out, readings and music selected and all was paid for. The financial and emotional toll a death can have on the family can be a lot for many people. There can be some comfort in knowing that all this is taken care of.

I guess moving would be the biggest question mark. As for cremation, it likely won’t make any difference to you....

[sketchyt]

Having dealt with funeral homes directly more times than I would have liked in the past few years, I would not give those bottom feeders any more money than you have to.

If you have money to burn and really want to pre-pay for something, I guess you can make an argument for your cemetery plot or mausoleum case. I've seen those costs rise dramatically after each funeral I was involved in.

[puffnstuff]

A paddleboard, some kindling and firewood then one flaming arrow. Not a lot of expense there (I already own the paddleboard)

[lazypucker]

If you prepay your funeral now, say for $10k, and you don't use it for 50 years. By 2070, the cost of the same service will be like 5 times as much. So the funeral home may hold your family ransom to cover the cost difference, or is it guaranteed that you will get what you prepaid for regardless of how much it will cost in tomorrow's dollar?

[zamler]

I want pullbears to carry my casket.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

If you prepay your funeral now, say for $10k, and you don't use it for 50 years. By 2070, the cost of the same service will be like 5 times as much. So the funeral home may hold your family ransom to cover the cost difference, or is it guaranteed that you will get what you prepaid for regardless of how much it will cost in tomorrow's dollar?

It's supposed to prepay in today's dollars, so if the cost doubles you're still good. But I think generally they tack on BS adder fees at the time they provide the service, because its already paid for people just pay the extra.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

While on the subject - I am a big proponent of donating a body to science. Not the weird body worlds type of science, but you can donate your remains to a university medical school with body donation programs. I know that may not be a popular thing to do within some populations but short of organ donation, I can't think of many better uses for a body than for the next generation of doctors to use it to study.

Plus I am pretty sure that after two years they will cremate the remains for free - so that is a bit of a win.

[troutman]

I think the average time is six months, but could be six years.

https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/body-donation-program/about

Generally studies can take anywhere from a few weeks to six years or more. The length and type of study is dependent on the current needs of our program and the suitability of the donors. We cannot predict how long a donation will be used.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

I know several people who pre paid and then the funeral home added a bunch of bs charges after the fact. One guy was charged 750 extra in carbon tax on his cremation.

My father had prepaid for his end of life preparations with a local funeral home. When his cancer was discovered my parents reviewed their contract with the funeral home over the phone. The funeral home attempted to add a "fuel surcharge" to his cremation contract because oil was expensive then. On that day, the last one he would drive, he drove down to their office and demanded the removal of the charge because they had already prepaid as per the terms of the contract. He informed them that he was having his will amended so that his estate would take the funeral home to small claims court should they insist on breaking the contract. They relented. Funeral homes bank on the grieving not fighting additional charges because they are usually already destroyed emotionally.

[flamesfever]

Prepaying for a funeral would be the last thing I would consider. Unless you have a fairly definite date for your departure, why would you tie up money in a business which gives you no investment return, and risks added costs, business failure, etc. It also give you no flexibility if you decide to move to another area of the country.

I think the average cost for a funeral in Canada is approximately $8,500. which includes cremation, urn, and all the paper work that comes with it. To get it started just takes a phone call to one of a number of places waiting to serve you.

The standard funeral seems to be changing with time. I believe large public funerals are starting to become fewer and fewer. I'm told that these days the majority of people prefer a more low key, smaller, more private celebration of life with family and friends.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by troutman

Green Burials:
https://www.calgarymemorial.com/green-burials.html

Water Cremation (alkaline hydrolysis):
https://www.cremationassociation.org...linehydrolysis

https://www.navigator.law/blog?p=cremated-remains

Okay I’m going to say it. If you are making tattoos for yourself out of your dead loved ones ashes you are ####ing weird as hell.

Oh I love your tattoo!

Thanks! Yeah I arranged for my dead aunt Thelma’s remains to be converted into ink and injected into my skin as art. What do you think of my wild stallions frolicking in the grass?

[MoneyGuy]

I’ve told my wife no way I want to prepay. She loved that that part was taken care of without stress but I handled this for my parents and the funeral home made it easy. I want mine to be as simple as possible maybe with an outdoor ceremony, cremation, and ashes to be used for something useful like to fertilize a tree. She wants something similar. We’ll discuss it and write out our plans.

[Geraldsh]

My Aunt & Uncle prepaid for plots then lived another 30 years. Come time to use Uncle’s plot, Aunt was told it had been resold because of the long time span, no refund either. That was more stress than she needed at the time.

[Agamemnon]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Okay I’m going to say it. If you are making tattoos for yourself out of your dead loved ones ashes you are ####ing weird as hell.

Oh I love your tattoo!

Thanks! Yeah I arranged for my dead aunt Thelma’s remains to be converted into ink and injected into my skin as art. What do you think of my wild stallions frolicking in the grass?

Yeah like... I feel like you might feel some strange things after 8 beers staring into a mirror contemplating that your dead relative has been liquefied and stained into your skin. Real introspection moment. Its a pass for me.

[troutman]

Keith Richards snorted his old man’s ashes.

https://www.independent.ie/style/cel...-34330344.html