Funeral pre-planning can alleviate the stress that occurs when a loved one passes. There are many reasons why the death of a loved one is consistently listed as one of life’s five most stressful experiences.
There are emotional reasons, of course: losing a loved one changes our lives as we know them, and the gap they leave can be impossible to fill. But there are also practical reasons why the death of a loved one is one of the most stressful experiences you can endure.
Two of those reasons are finances and time.
Why Timing Matters for a Funeral
Planning a funeral can be stressful because of the imposed timeframe. Your religious or spiritual convictions might dictate that services are done within a certain number of days. You might want to make sure family can attend, even if they have to travel from further away. Your church might not have a preferred day available.
There are countless reasons why the element of time can make the days and weeks after the death of a loved one particularly stressful. In addition to the elements that are outside of your control (like religious rules, church schedules, or family schedules), there is also the sheer volume of tasks that must be completed to plan a service.
What kind of service do you want? Do you want people to read at the service? Do you want someone to sing? Which scriptures or poems do you want to be shared? What music do you want played? Which priest or clergy do you want to officiate the service? Do you know what clothes your loved one wants to be buried in, or if they want to be cremated? Do you know if it will be a closed or open casket? Will there be a gathering after the service? If so, what are those details?
We ask these questions here not to add additional stress, but to give you just a tiny idea of how many decisions must be made when planning the services to honor and memorialize a loved one.
How Funerals Cause Financial Stress
There’s no doubt about it: funeral costs can be expensive. Of course, there are choices you can make to lessen the bill; but the costs do add up quickly. This can seem especially true to someone who hasn’t gone through the experience before. We’re always interested in having conversations about the costs associated with funerals and services, and we’d welcome the chance to talk with you. Call anytime. Our number is (610) 876-5237.
Understanding how much funerals and services cost can be especially stressful when a loved one has just died. There is no time to study the information or to compare options. You might have to work with someone you don’t know, which can also increase your stress. Will you trust them? Will they serve you well?
Pre-planning and pre-paying for your funeral means you can compare our services with that of others. You can also learn about your options for burial or cremation, and why different services have different costs.
Why Funeral Pre-Planning Can Decrease Stress
It’s true that most people don’t want to plan a funeral before the death of a loved one. Some might find it morbid; others might simply find it unnecessary.
But pre-planning can be one of the most thoughtful things you can do.
Pre-planning means that all (or at least most) of the details of a service can be known in advance. The readings can be ready, the music can be queued, the gathering place identified. Knowing what kind of service is desired can alleviate the stress of trying to plan a service that you hope would please your loved one; instead, you know that you’re carrying out their wishes and honoring what they most valued.
Pre-planning can also alleviate the financial burden of a loved one’s death. One reason is that when you pre-plan and pre-pay, your costs are locked in. If prices increase between your payment and the funeral or service, you pay what the price was at the time of your pre-planning payment, not what the price increased to later.
Pre-planning can also alleviate financial burdens by identifying the total cost and allowing payments over a period of time. It’s important to note that what we’re talking about here applies only to the fees charged by our funeral home. Other fees associated with services, such as flower arrangements, newspaper death notices, and other fees, are not included in this service and therefore are not protected from inflation, regardless of whether or not you pre-plan funeral services.
Anyone Can Pre-Plan a Funeral
Of course, we’re talking in this post about pre-planning your own funeral. Doing so means that you are giving your loved ones the gift of knowing exactly what your wishes are. If you pre-pay, it also means that you are not leaving them with the burden of shouldering that financial obligation.
But that doesn’t mean you have to pre-plan alone. You can work with your closest family and bring them into the pre-planning process. You can encourage them to pre-plan their own services, even if they aren’t sure of every detail. The truth is, those pre-plans can be changed as time goes on. For instance, the songs you want to be played at a funeral can be changed; so can the type of flowers you want. Pre-planning is simply a plan that’s clear and communicated to those you love. If your wishes change between the time you pre-plan and your death, that pre-plan can be changed. What won’t change is the peace of mind your loved ones will have when they know that they are carrying out your wishes, no matter what those wishes might be.
We offer full pre-planning services and can guarantee that if you choose to pre-pay for your services, your money is safe. We place whatever funds you entrust us with in a Future Internment Master Trust. Your money will earn interest until it’s needed for your service.
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