Do you want a traditional funeral, but are you forced to purchase a traditional coffin? Are you forced to purchase what the funeral home has to offer? Will a funeral home accept your alternative low-cost option?
The answers to the above questions are no, no and yes. In the past, the only way to purchase a coffin was directly through a funeral home. Today, under a U.S. federal law, 16 CFR Part 453 (known as the Funeral Rule), if a family provides a casket they purchased elsewhere, the establishment is required to accept the casket and use it in the services. If the casket is delivered direct to the funeral home from the manufacturer or store, they are required to accept delivery of the casket. The funeral home may not add any extra charges or fees to the overall bill if a family decides to purchase a casket elsewhere.
The following list provides you with some options for cheap caskets. This list is in order by cost, from least expensive to most expensive.
Cardboard Coffins: While some companies focus on developing cardboard coffins for cremation or natural burials, the cost is unknown (most of these companies won’t post their prices on the Internet). But, if you want a simple cardboard coffin for someone who wants to be cremated, why not choose something from a list like this? Cost: About $50.00
Before you make the decision to purchase a Halloween coffin for cremation, make sure you purchase a coffin that is somewhat sturdy and that doesn’t contain plastics, metals or other materials.
Attar Burial Shroud: This shroud was designed by a woman who has assisted with burials for over twenty years. This shroud is meant for use for woodland or traditional burial or for cremation. Cost: $245.00
Burial shrouds are becoming more popular, and they are acceptable for any funeral service. However, some graveyards may not allow a shroud-only burial, depending upon their rules and regulations for burials.
Ark Wood Caskets: Absolutely no metals, plastics, stains, varnishes, or oils are used in these casket kits, and their glue contains no formaldehyde. To help restore America’s forests, this company plants a tree for every casket purchased. Unknown if a funeral home would assemble an ordered casket. $599.00 plus shipping.
This company is just one of many that makes simple wood caskets, even the age-old pine box. The prices across the board are very similar to Ark, so you might want to find a company near you to lower shipping costs.
Wood caskets have been around for a long time, and many wood caskets make some funerals an environmental affair. The amount of benefit to the environment, however, would depend upon whether the casket was placed in a vault or not. Wood caskets are ideal for cremation when the crematory requires the body to be encased in a rigid container.If you think you’d like to purchase a hardwood casket, there are several factors you might consider. These issues will determine the cost of your casket:
Do you use Twitter? If not, you probably wonder what the Twitter fuss is all about. If you’re using Twitter, you may think that those who don’t use it just don’t “get it.” Whether or not you use Twitter, you might be surprised to learn that this social media tool has penetrated the death care industry. And, unlike the morbid specters you think you might encounter, these folks are – well – they’re alive and ordinary, with hobbies, families and stories to tell.
Did you shiver when you saw the image at left? You may know, in your head, that the odds of dying on Tuesday are slim to none (we hope!), but superstitions are hard to shake sometimes. A superstition usually is a belief or notion that is not based upon reason or knowledge. Since death is the “great unknown,” death, dying and funerals became prime candidates for superstitious beliefs, even among educated people. Many superstitions, if believed across a wide range of population for a period of time, may become rituals.
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, newspaper obituaries were flowery affairs and often contained poems and quotes. The writers would eulogize the deceased in terms that often described angels, even when some knew that that person was far from angelic. Today, price and space limit the obituary to a matter-of-fact short blurb that barely allows the family to let others know about the deceased’s character.
If you’ve ever been involved with planning someone’s funeral, you might understand the difficulties with planning arrangements at the last moment. The words are more difficult to write for the eulogy or for the obituary, the flowers seem too obnoxious because too many were ordered, and the casket became far too expensive, because the family wanted the best.