Death is always a terrible time and the cost of a funeral is significant. A time when we are all vulnerable to smooth 'caring' selling. I am surprised that the government doesn't mandate funeral companies to have a very low cost option, like they do to super companies with super(maybe they do but I don't know). I am aware that costco sells coffins, universities will cover costs if bodies are donated for science, hospitals cover for unclaimed bodies, governments tend to pay for important Australians like soldiers on active duty in military zones and (ex)prime ministers. But does anyone have any suggestions to lower the costs of funerals/dying, whether this is for a stillbirth or a death at 80+. It will affect us all and we need some ozbargain guidance to economise funerals. (Apologies in advance if this is too raw for some ozbargainers).
The True Cost of Death/Funerals
Comments
Personal experience? :)
I had to organise a funeral 2 years ago.
the person wanted their ashes spread somewhere special so they were cremated.
A memorial service was organised through my kids school at the church across the road (the school, friends and strangers did all the catering) - this was at zero cost.
there was no viewing of the body or anything like that as that was not the wishes of the person.
the whole process by the funeral director(an independent) from collection of the body from the hospital morgue to the crematorium, all paper work, etc - cost $1290.
I totally agree that many funeral companies capitalise from death and grieving. Many of the larger places I contacted wanted (at the minimum) triple of what the independent director was charging.
my father-in-law (a 4th generation farmer) has requested that his body is placed on a pyre on his farm.
I'd like to see Zoroastrian "Towers of Silence" introduced as environmental and cost efficient way to manage the disposal of bodies
You've given examples of what the dead want(ed). What happens when Gov't don't want it? I looked at the Gov't website but it's too vague.
Tibetans also practice sky burials. Someone has the gruesome job of hacking the body up.
However the diminishing number of vultures is making this cheap funeral difficult.The checkout had an episode on funerals a few weeks ago. Maybe check it out
Simple- get a direct cremation, cremation only, through the funeral company, as altomic did. Then arrange whatever religious services, memorials, wakes you need yourself. As altomic did.
Anything the funeral company does will be overpriced so leave that to the bare, legal necessities.
You can DIY the whole thing and bury on your own land if you have 5 hectares but most people are too squeamish.
For burials on private land other than a private cemetery, the following requirements
need to be met:
• The total landholding must be equal to or exceed five hectares
• Bodies must be buried at a minimum depth of 900 millimetres
• Bodies must be placed in a coffin prior to burial
• A geotechnical investigation may be considered if there is any likelihood of the
contamination of ground waters and/or surface waters.http://www1.health.nsw.gov.au/pds/ActivePDSDocuments/GL2013_…
Are you allowed to bury at sea?
Viking funeral?
I think there is a very low cost option. Duh gummints comes and takes you away.