Even after you or someone you love has passed, there's someone else trying to take money out of your pockets. A few movements are currently trending across the country in the hopes of making funerals more affordable — and more environmentally friendly.
The average American funeral runs about $6,000 and up. Toss in another $3,000 or so for a burial plot and other cemetery costs, and that's a pretty pricey send-off. Make no bones about it, the funeral industry (worth $11 billion a year in the US) is a business that's long been tapping into a time when families are at their most vulnerable. In 1985, Congress passed a funeral reform bill, empowering consumers by requiring funeral directors to itemize bills and inform families about possible options before collecting payment, but, as Frugal Yankees, we thought we'd pull together a few tips to help you to keep even more of that green stuff in your wallet, while being "green" at the same time, too.
The first tip is easy: money does not equal love or respect. Buying an expensive casket or having a funeral with all the trimmings doesn't ease anyone's sorrow. As with most decisions, a little planning, a little knowledge, and some judicious decision making will have your wishes (and those of the deceased) fulfilled while also preventing the funeral from becoming the last RIP-off.
