Death and Funerals: Getting Woke About the Wake

Photo: Dalmeny

Last week’s blog post covered the paperwork end of being prepared for your own or somebody else’s passing. This week will cover how to properly cover the costs of services and memorials so when the time comes the sticker shock attached to that final farewell is not as horrifying.

The cost of funerals and memorials are rising every year. The average cost of a complete funeral service is approximately $10,500 if you or the loved one is looking to have a burial service. This does not include the cost of a grave stone, nor does it cover the burial plot. That price tag does cover a number of things including, the viewing service (makeup and cleanup to look presentable in the casket), a metal casket with ceramic vault (wooden caskets and bronze vaults raise the cost), death certificates, pastoral costs, and obituary notices in the local paper or online.

If burial services are too expensive, there is also the option to cremate the remains of a loved one. The average cost for this service according to Cremation Resources is around $1,100. This does not include the funeral services. However, there is an option to have the wake as well as the cremation. A number of funeral homes now include the option to rent a casket and later have the crematorium inter the remains in an urn.

Photo: Alamy

Interring the remains and getting a proper grave marker also come with their own fees. Burial Planning reports that in the state of Pennsylvania the average cost for a single burial plot costs $1,200. Remember, this is for a single plot. The price will more than likely double if a married couple decided to be buried side by side. Finally, the grave stone is the final piece to the burial puzzle and takes the longest to prepare. The funeral home will provide a simple plastic temporary marker until a permanent replacement is made. Common thirty inch base markers will typically $3,500 dollars and a couple week, minimum, to produce. This price tag includes a smooth marble stone base and inscription, adding laser etchings will dramatically increase costs. If your loved one is buried during the fall or winter months (specifically in northern states) this process will take longer because of ground settling.   

So far this funeral service and burial has come to total $15,200 for the complete package. However, there is the problem of paying for the services when the time comes. In a future blog article there will be the discussion on how to cover all costs when the time arrives.