If you are getting up there in age, you may be starting to think about plans for your body after you are gone. The two primary choices, at least in the Untied States, are traditional embalming and burial, or cremation service. Most people know that cremation is the cheaper of the two, but if your funds are not strictly limited, you may not be considering cremation as an option. However, cremation is not just for the impoverished. Even very wealthy individuals often opt for cremation, and that is because it also offers a few lesser-known benefits -- including the following.

1. Cremation is better for the planet.

Embalming fluid is meant to preserve a body so that the body can be presented at a funeral. It contains a lot of harsh chemicals that are not great for plant life or for the animals that may feed on the grass or other plants growing in the cemetery. Embalming fluid may also wash into the ground water as the body breaks down, contaminating nearby lakes and streams. Cremation, on the other hand, is a lot more friendly for the planet. The ashes produced will break down naturally without causing harm. If you have been trying to live your life in an eco-friendly manner, why not make cremation your one last nod to sustainability? 

2. Cremation can prevent arguments among family members.

If you let your family members know that you wish to be cremated, you may save them a lot of arguments during the already trying time when they are mourning your loss. They won't have to agree on what shirt you should be wearing when you are buried, which expensive casket to purchase for you, or even whether you should have an open-casket funeral. The decision will already have been made, and there's a lot less variety to decide on when it comes to cremation. Cremation also allows your family members to be more flexible with the funeral arrangements. There's no need to rush and have a funeral before the body decomposes; they can schedule it when convenient.

3. Cremation lets loved ones honor you in several ways.

When you have your body buried, you are preserved and memorialized in one place -- the cemetery where you are buried. What if you have ties to several towns or cities? What if you really want to be memorialized in a place you enjoyed visiting on vacation? When you are cremated, you can have your ashes scattered in several places at once.