Long-estranged sibling just passed away...

[Retiredguy2]

Lots of folks on my wife's side have pre-paid their funerals. Heck, my in-laws even bought a stone with their pictures on it and its sitting out in the cemetery right now! I see it a couple times a week as I drive by there often. They stop by and look at it sometime.... I'm tempted to go put some flowers on it! :laughing:

Live flowers? Or dead ones? Sorry but I could not resist that one !! :laughing:

 

[turnkey4099]

Just oral instructions to your family, or in your will, or pre-paid with a contract?

I wonder how many people plan their own funerals in advance. I'd never known anyone to do that, other than buying a cemetery plot, until my Dad died. We have a son-in-law who is a funeral director/mortician/funeral home manager who handled everything the way Mother wanted. And my Dad had life insurance that not only covered the costs, but Mother decided to pre-pay for her own funeral. They had bought cemetery plots many years ago.

I guess some folks might consider it a bit morbid, but my wife and I have pre-paid and planned our own final party in advance.:laughing: Cremation (we selected the urns for the ashes), simple grave side service, and we selected and paid for the columbarium. It already has our names and dates of birth on it. The cemetery will add the dates of our deaths when the time comes.

In other words, our daughters, grandkids, siblings, etc. will have to do nothing but divide up the property (if we have anything left:laughing and we have wills for that.

Yes to prepaid funerals!!! And the sooner the better. I looked into one for cremation, no servece, no extras $700. Procrastination kicked in. Years later I went back and bought one. Then it was $1700. More procrastination and when I got around to buying one for my wife it was $2300.

As to being morbid? What do you think your survivors think when they are stuck with arranging a funeral for you? Yep, morbid and feeling an obligation to "overspend" so the neighbors won't talk.

Only a coward would stick the survivors with such a duty.

I did get one comment about my wife's when she died after 5 years of being basically housebound. Funeral was cremation only, no service.

"We didn't get a chance to say goodby". My reply "She was in that house for 5 years and NOT ONE of her freinds ever stopped by.

 

[MossRoad]

Live flowers? Or dead ones? Sorry but I could not resist that one !! :laughing:

Plastic, of course!

 

[Deere Dude]

I would not spend the money on a prepaid funeral service or cremation or headstone. What if I am at sea and die and they don't recover my body; nothing to burn or plant. Money gone.

 

[Travelover]

I would not spend the money on a prepaid funeral service or cremation or headstone. What if I am at sea and die and they don't recover my body; nothing to burn or plant. Money gone.

One can prearrange without prepaying. I think that is the better way, unless money is a real problem.

 

[Bird]

I would not spend the money on a prepaid funeral service or cremation or headstone. What if I am at sea and die and they don't recover my body; nothing to burn or plant. Money gone.

I don't know about ALL companies, but when my son-in-law prepared the prepaid funeral arrangements, we had the option of backing out later; i.e., a revocable contract. But we instead wanted the irrevocable arrangement. Without going into all the details, you could prepay with the revocable contract and in a situation such as you described, your heirs could get the refund. Revocable/irrevocable . . . each has its advantages and disadvantages.

 

[Budweiser John]

Bottom Line, we've all got an appointment but nobody knows when. From dust we come and to dust we shall return.
B. John

 

[Garandman]

Make a donation of a size you can easily afford, and move on. You'll have done more than obliged or expected.

 

[Turbys_1700]

The contract that my wife and I did for my parents was an insurance policy that is designated for funeral expenses. The amount that we set aside will be used to pay for the services rendered. I am fortunate that my closest friend is a funeral home owner. He's been in the business all his life. On the other hand I have relatives that are in the business also. It is a competitive industry around here. Prices are determined by location and competition. Lots of folks are opting for lower cost cremation services.

 

[hunterj]

I wouldn't say you would be responsible for anything. If you feel like you want to help then it would be fine. Do what settles well with your heart, that's what matters.