Cremation services have been growing in popularity recently as an end-of-life service option.
With traditional funeral services and burial costs stacking up quite high, many people are opting for cremation services to keep funeral costs to a minimum.
Not only is it more affordable, but it can also be a lot more environmentally friendly as you avoid certain factors like embalming fluid, which can leach into the ground.
Here are the common aspects of affordable cremation services, so you can decide where you want to cut costs or change your arrangements depending on how you would like to honor your loved one.
Direct Cremation
Affordable cremation services will likely involve a direct cremation rather than a traditional funeral/cremation service.
This is one of the simplest forms of cremation services, involving the body being cremated immediately after death, with no visitation or viewing service beforehand, or any formal funeral services.
Not having a viewing eliminates the need for embalming or any body preparations, which can reduce your funeral costs significantly.
With pre-funeral and funeral services ending up costing thousands of dollars, you can immediately cut down on a large portion of the final cost by opting out of these types of funeral services.
Memorial Services
Following the cremation, you can host a memorial service for the deceased. This is often an event for friends and family to gather in memory of the deceased.
This is not a requirement by any means, but it can be a place for people to mourn and come to terms with the death.
You can organize a more affordable service by hosting a small service at home or at an event space. Having a potluck-style memorial service can cut down on any catering service costs too.
Alternatively, you can wait some time before you host the memorial service. Since there is no burial, you can wait weeks or even months to host a memorial service.
This means that you can save up money to host this service, instead of having to manage all these costs at once.
Paperwork and Permits
After any death, there will be paperwork that needs to be filled out.
Your funeral home should take care of any paperwork or permits that are required when someone passes away.
You may need to get multiple copies of the death certificate if the deceased has a large estate. A certified copy can range from $20 to over $50.
Cremation Container
In order to cremate a body, you must have a container to put the body in.
Some people opt to put the body in a regular funeral casket; however, this is among the more costly options.
Since the only requirement a crematorium has with regard to a container is that it does not contain any metal, you can opt for a simple wooden box, which simultaneously cuts down on your expenses significantly.
You should also note that if your loved one has a pacemaker, this must be removed prior to cremation.
Transportation Costs
There are many transportation costs associated with traditional funeral services.
From transportation of the body to the funeral home, the funeral service, and the gravesite to the transportation for various family and friends from the visitation or viewing to the funeral service, gravesite, and memorial service—these costs add up quickly.
With affordable cremation services, your transport costs can be limited, with the only significant cost being the transportation of the body from the place of death to the funeral home.
You should note that there can be extra costs for non-standard collections. That is if your loved one has passed away at home as opposed to the hospital, or if they are considered heavy and require more staff for collection.
Ashes Container
In order to store the ashes, you will need to purchase a container. There are plenty of options for urns, which can cost anything from $50 to upwards of $2,000.
An established funeral home will be able to provide you with a variety of affordable options.
If you are planning to have a scattering ceremony, you can even opt to get a simple box container to store the ashes until you scatter them.
You could also choose to use a container that you already own. This can be a container that is meaningful to you or your loved one.
Find the best affordable cremation services
When trying to find affordable cremation services or funeral homes in Pittsburgh, ensure that you do your research and find the best options available—remember costs can vary widely among funeral homes.
You should look for a funeral director who will be able to customize their services to give you the options that you specifically want, while also helping you stay within
