No one likes the thought of their own death, and planning a funeral can be uncomfortable and daunting for some people, but it doesn’t have to be. With advance funeral planning, you’re helping ensure your final wishes and saving your family the emotional and financial burden of having to make these important decisions after you’re gone.
We’ve discussed when the right age is to preplan, how to choose your funeral provider, what questions to ask to customize your services and even when to have the talk of a lifetime with your family members. Today we’re sharing the top six reasons to preplan your funeral.
1. Advance funeral planning gives you control over your funeral plans with adequate time to consider your options and make educated decisions.
When a loved one passes, those responsible for planning their funeral typically need to make many decisions regarding the funeral arrangements and their loved one’s final wishes in a short period of time. In times of grief, emotions are running high, which can cause some people to eventually regret the decisions they made for the many options available for funeral service providers, locations or even the selections to customize the services to their loved one’s final wishes.
With advance funeral planning, you have complete control over making decisions at your own pace. This process can take the pressure off your family members and help ensure that your selections reflect your final wishes.
2. You can customize your funeral selections to align with your final wishes.
There are endless options when it comes to customizing funeral services, so many that it may be overwhelming for family members who are newly grieving. By making these selections in advance, you’re ensuring that your end-of-life celebration is how you would like it to be, eliminating the guesswork for your family.
3. Advance funeral planning gives you and your family peace of mind.
By preplanning your funeral, you’re not only guaranteeing that the services are exactly as you wish, but you’re providing your family with peace of mind in knowing that they will not be responsible for the emotional and financial burden of arranging and funding your funeral.
4. Avoid inflation and lock in today’s prices for the future.
As with many products and services, funeral costs will likely continue to increase over time due to inflation. Imagine the price of today’s casket is $1,000. Like all other goods and services, inflation will likely drive casket costs up 5% annually. One year from now, that same casket could be $1,050, $1,276 in five years and as much as $1,629 in 10 years! By prepaying for your funeral, you can protect your family from rising costs, lock in today’s rates and remove the financial burden from them.
5. Relieve emotional stress and potential disagreements in your family.
There are many side effects of grief. Making dozens of decisions in this emotional mindset could be exhausting. During the funeral planning process, conflicts can emerge among family members for many different reasons, such as the amount of money spent, the type of service or religious affiliation or the final burial location. Bringing family members together to make important decisions in a high-stress and emotional situation can even bring up past unresolved issues.
Having advance funeral plans makes it easier for your family to properly grieve and focus on their own health and well-being without added conflict or stress. Your loved ones will also know the arrangements are what you would have wanted, and they can focus on what truly matters at the moment: remembering you and grieving their loss.
6. Advance funeral planning offers many payment options, making it an affordable decision.
Many funeral homes offer flexible payment options for preplanned arrangements, making it more accessible and manageable for you to ensure your final wishes are met without incurring significant financial strain on your finances or your family’s at the time of passing. Often, families aren’t comfortable or prepared to pay for an entire funeral at the time of need, so when you prepay, you can lock in today’s prices and take away the financial burden from your loved ones.
Advance funeral planning is a wonderful gift that you can give to your loved ones. By alleviating the burden of funding and planning your funeral today, you can give your loved ones the ability to remember you with peace and grace so they can focus on the memories of your life rather than the details of your death.
When you’re ready to begin preplanning your funeral, we’re here to help with useful resources to begin having the Talk of a Lifetime with your family members.
