Making funeral arrangements can be a difficult, especially when it comes to figuring out how to afford all of it. To help you keep the costs down, you will want to make use of the following tips.

Buy A Casket Somewhere Else

You do not have to purchase the casket from the funeral home. While they might sell them, you have the option to comparison shop and look for cheaper options. There are now some major wholesale stores that are selling caskets. You also have the option to purchase one online directly from the manufacturer of the casket. Just make sure that you are speaking with the funeral home about the delivery of the casket so there is no confusion. Ask if it can be shipped straight to the funeral home. Otherwise, you will simply have to keep it at your home until the funeral home is ready for it. When they are ready to use the casket, you can simply place it in the back of a truck and take it to them.

Skip A Day Of Viewing

While it might be nice to have as many viewing days as possible, it might not be feasible with your budget. This is because the funeral home will charge you a fee for each day that the viewing room is reserved for your family and friends. Instead of two days of viewing, you might want to cut it down to one day of viewing. If you are working with an extremely tight budget, you can skip having a viewing day and simply invite friends and family for the funeral service, where they can then pay their final respects.

Consider The Option Of Cremation

When you opt to have your loved one cremated, instead of having them buried, you will save a lot of money. This is because you will not have to worry about the expense of purchasing a burial plot in a cemetery or a headstone. You also do not have to purchase a casket, as the caskets used for viewing purposes before the cremation are not used in the actual cremation process. Most funeral homes have caskets that they rent out to families who have decided to go with cremation but would still like to hold a viewing for all of their family and friends.

With those three helpful suggestions in mind, you should have no trouble figuring out how to save money on the cost of the funeral.