Direct Cremation

Direct Cremation
By Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee/@grannygee

If you can't afford the cost of a burial ... you may want to consider Direct Cremation.  This avoids all the costs of extras/frills that add up to hundreds, even thousands of dollars.  I don't know about you, but, my husband and I can't afford it.

We are choosing Direct Cremation, no viewing, no  ... anything but, the urn the ashes are placed in.  We are very private people ... we don't let people view us sleeping ... we don't choose for people to view us in death.  It's private.  You may feel differently.

Some of the things you don't have to buy, when going the route of Direct Cremation, are:

1)  Casket ... which can be very expensive
2)  No embalming (it isn't required for direct cremation)
3)  No charge for staff/facility 
4)  No charge for someone to come in to do makeup/ and hair
5)  No church or chapel fee
6)  No charge for viewing/visitation
7)  No fee for hearst, flower car, etc.
8)  Grave plot, mausoleum, grave/vault liner
9)  Opening/closing fee
10) headstone, grave marker

Another benefit of choosing Direct Cremation is that the remains/ashes are portable, meaning wherever you go, the cremains (remains) can travel with you, in an urn.

It would be wise to pay heed to the funeral home employees during this time of grief, pain.  You could end up with a nasty surprise if you don't.  Direct Cremation is inexpensive ... at this time, they will try harder to sell you ... "extras".

Don't finalize any funeral/cremation arrangement until you can fully understand what you are purchasing.  Ask for it all to be explain in easy-to-understand language.

Try to understand, this is a time you are upset, you could make costly mistakes.

You might want to remember this.  When you choose Direct Cremation ... embalming IS NOT required.  The reason I say to remember this is because funeral home employees will mention embalming ... how would you not know better?  This happened to my step-father ... he paid $895.00 more.  It was unnecessary ... my mother didn't have a viewing.  Even with viewing, it doesn't have to be done.

Another thing to remember is ... you DO NOT have to choose an expensive casket.  Choose instead, a less-expensive container called "alternative container".  An alternative container is a cardboard box ... I think they average in cost about $195.

This is another thing to remember:  there is a difference in costs when you choose either funeral home ... or crematory to handle the Direct Cremation.  It cost more for the funeral home to do it.  Read below.

Direct Cremation through funeral homes ... cost is approximately $1,600 and $3,000.  Costs can run upwards as high as $5,500 if you purchase a casket.  Instead, choose "alternative container".

Direct Cremation through Crematory ... is cheapest.  The average cost is $1,000 and $2,200.  If you cremate body in casket, of course the cost is going to be lots more.  The more extras ... the more fees you'll have to pay.  Instead, choose "alternative container".

There isn't any good reason to purchase a casket when doing Direct Cremation.  Choose instead, an alternative container (cardboard box).

To give you an idea of approximate costs of "extras" ... look at these fees:

$200 ... for hearse
$250     for the newspaper announcement
$1,500 ... or more, for casket
$500 ... viewing
$1,000 ... or more, for cemetery plot
$750 ... open/closing of grave site
$1,000 ... vault liner
$1,500 ... headstone, marker

Your most least expensive options are:

1)  donate your loved one to medical
2)  Direct Cremation
3)  immediate burial
4)  cremation with viewing, etc.
5)  traditional funeral

We are choosing Direct Cremation because of cost.  There's no reason, unless you have lots of money to spend ... want to spend ... for it to cost so much.  It can't go with your loved one.  We truly want to save the other as much money as possible ... for the one remaining, to live on.

Another positive thing about Direct Cremation is that it saves land for cemeteries; least expensive, and wherever one goes, the ashes are portable, can be carried easily.

Cremation does the same thing more quickly ... as being buried over time does ... the body decomposes and ends up as ashes.