User:ArlennaWiswall1968

When families are looking for ways to spend less on the services for a deceased loved one, many times the cremation cost is far less than the expense of a traditional funeral and burial. There are many times when a loved one passes on without leaving behind the financial resources to cover what today has become the exorbitant expense of funeral and burial services.

The added financial burden to the families can often be too much, let alone trying to think of ways to pay for everything while going through their grieving. With funeral expenses skyrocketing often to $10,000 at a minimum, a cremation is often seen as the only way to alleviate the financial stress on the family to take care of the loved one's final affairs.

The cost of a cremation is far less than traditional funeral expenses for a few reasons. First, unless the family is planning to have a viewing and funeral service prior to the cremation, there is less cost because the body does not need to be embalmed and prepared.

Most often those who choose cremation over a traditional funeral service will opt for a direct cremation and have a memorial service following the cremation process. This is actually the least expensive option to a traditional viewing and funeral.

One of the most expensive purchases for a traditional funeral and burial is the casket. Since the body will be transported to the crematory in a box that is designed to be put into the cremation oven, there is no expense of a high-priced cremation casket because no one is going to be viewing the body.

Another obvious savings is the purchase of a grave plot, which can cost up to $15,000 or more depending on your location and/or the cemetery you choose to have your loved on placed in. Those expenses also include the maintenance of the grave following the burial.

Traditional funerals also include expenses such as transporting the body from the funeral home to the place of the funeral service, for instance a church, and then transportation to the grave site for interment. These expenses are eliminated since there will be no body to transport, thereby lowering the cremation cost to something much more affordable for the family.

Direct cremation costs can range from $695-$1395 depending on your geographical location as compared to the many thousands of dollars needed to pay for a traditional funeral and burial service.

Because of the savings of choosing cremation over a traditional funeral, many families are able to create a living memorial in honor of their loved ones, which do much to aid in the grieving and healing after the loved one has been finally laid to rest.

Many types of memorials can be custom designed such as a personalized decorative urn, which is much less than a casket that no one will ever see again. Memorial bookmarks are another way to create a celebration of life of the loved one as well.

A special bench can be designed and set up in a garden with the loved one's favorite flowers and can be a personal and permanent memorial where family members can visit in private rather than travel to a cemetery. 横浜市　霊園