A funeral is supposed to be an opportunity to bid farewell to a loved one. However, uncontrolled expenditure can quickly turn it into a money drain. It's possible to have a good funeral even with a relatively small budget if you approach the occasion differently. This will ensure your loved one gets a decent send-off and you don't have to worry about crippling debt afterward.

Have a Plan

Having a plan for how the funeral will go can help you to determine what expenses are there and what you'll need to spend your money on. It's important to have a budget for the funeral but before you come up with a budget, you'll need to know what the funeral involves and what is required. You can ask for professional funeral planning services to help you with this.

Once you have a plan, you can set a reasonable budget and start the next step of the process.

Shop for Options

Don't settle for the first funeral home that comes to mind, check with as many homes as are there in your locale. Let them know that you're on a strict budget and see if they can give you a reasonable offer. You should take the same approach when dealing with other suppliers such as caterers and florists. You may be surprised to find a much better deal at the fourth or fifth supplier you talk to.

Choose Cremation

Cremation services eliminate the need for a funeral plot, embalming, and a casket. You can save a couple of thousand dollars right here to spend on the memorial service.

Think About DIY

Taking on some of the tasks on your own is a great way to rein back the costs of a funeral. There certain things you can do on your own such as food preparation and making of the flower arrangements (if you have flowers in your garden. Catering services can be quite expensive and unnecessary if you're not expecting a lot of people to show up at the wake.

Check if Friends and Family Can Help

Your friends and family members can help in a number of ways and not just financially. If you have family members in the catering or restaurant business, they may take on the catering duties. Family members in other relevant businesses e.g., florists can also contribute various items that will help to keep the budget for the funeral low.

Don't Go for Extras

An elaborate urn or coffin may look good but it won't come cheap. Pole bearers and a car to transport family members may be available from the funeral home but these extras will cost you more.