Funeral Planning
Flowers, donations and the small decisions
A funeral involves several dozen small decisions, most of which are optional, several of which are expensive, and all of which are made by someone who is exhausted.
Funeral Planning
Costs, options, pre-payment and consumer rights.
Funeral Planning
The first twenty-four hours
What actually has to happen immediately after a death is a short list, and knowing it prevents decisions being made under pressure that cost money and cause regret.
Funeral Planning
When there is not enough money for a funeral
Funeral poverty is a documented and growing problem, families take on debt they cannot afford, and there is more help available than most people know about.
Funeral Planning
Memorials, headstones and what to do with ashes
The decisions that come after the funeral are made with less pressure and more freedom, and they are the ones people most often postpone indefinitely.
Funeral Planning
Dying abroad, and bringing someone home
A death in another country introduces documentation, expense and delay that families are entirely unprepared for, and travel insurance frequently does not cover what people assume.
Funeral Planning
Celebrants, services and making a funeral personal
The service is the part families have most control over and the part they most frequently hand over entirely to someone who did not know the person.
Funeral Planning
Writing and delivering a eulogy
Speaking at a funeral is a task people take on while grieving, frequently at short notice, with no idea how to do it. It is more manageable than it appears.
Funeral Planning
Planning your own funeral: what to write down
Recording what you want costs nothing, takes an hour, and removes the single largest source of stress and disagreement for the people arranging it.
Funeral Planning
Burial, cremation and the newer options
The choice used to be between two things. It is now considerably broader, and the differences in cost, environmental impact and availability are substantial.
Funeral Planning
Pre-paid funeral plans: what to check before signing
Paying in advance can protect against rising costs and spare your family a decision. It also involves handing over money years ahead of the service, and that has gone wrong.
Funeral Planning
Reading a funeral price list
Price lists are a consumer protection that only works if you ask for one and know how to read it. Here is what to look for and what the language means.
Funeral Planning
What a funeral actually costs, and where the money goes
Funeral pricing is opaque by design, decisions are made by grieving people under time pressure, and the difference between the cheapest and most expensive versions of the same service is enormous.