Planning out a funeral can be a stressful situation for anyone. Like all sudden expenses, a funeral payment plan can be as just as complicated and difficult to navigate. Like buying a car, there may be a lot of unnecessary fees and bargaining that comes with the cost of a funeral, but the right know-how can make it less daunting, while also considering how title loans can pay for a funeral.

Learning how to pay for a funeral can benefit you and your family. Here are some tips for planning ahead:

  • Plan for the cost
  • Budget the needs and wants
  • Receive everything in writing
  • Pay in advance

Planning for the Funeral Cost

According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the average cost for a funeral in the United States hits at about $7,755, ranging anywhere from $7,000 to $10,000 in costs. If you’re concerned about that much of a cost, the most basic funeral in the US shouldn’t cost you anymore than $3,000 for the bare minimum.

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The costs broken down are as follows:

  • Funeral director services – $1,500
  • Casket – $2,300
  • Embalming – $500
  • Funeral home – $500
  • Burial site – $1,000
  • Site dig – $600
  • Grave liner or outer container – $1,000
  • Headstone – $1,000

In this way, funeral homes bundle them into a much more expensive package for customers. As a result, many people are paying more than funeral homes would regularly charge. According to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), the National Median Cost of an Adult Funeral with Viewing and Burial in 2017 was $7,350 and will likely continue to increase each year.

If cremation has been discussed as an option, it is definitely cheaper than a traditional funeral. While the traditional burial may cost around $7,000 on average, a cremation with services can cost only $2,000 to $4,000.

Here’s a few tips on how to lower the price and pay for the funeral.

Saving Money on the Ceremony: Types of Funerals to Choose From

A typical funeral is not the single, default choice in funeral homes, and new innovations have several choices for people to choose from. Many alternatives to regular funeral ceremonies also tend to be the cheaper decisions for the funeral payment plan altogether.

A list of some of the different types of funerals include the following:

  • Body Donation: One of the easiest ways to save money on the funeral payment plan. Most organizations also tend to absorb the costs on the body donation, as well as the subsequent cremation done.
  • Direct Burial: Costs on the embalming and casket viewing are taken out of the picture for this choice. A grave site service can typically be hosted by either the family, clergy, or the funeral director.
  • Direct Cremation: Like a direct burial, embalming and casket fees are eliminated with a direct cremation, while also taking out fees for a burial plot. A memorial service can also still be held at the time of cremation, or at a later date.
  • Home Funeral: The cost of funeral homes is skipped altogether, leaving only the planner to pay for death certificates, a burial plot, and a casket. Home funeral guides are typically operated via volunteer or donation to help you in preparing and honoring the loved one at the household funeral ceremony.
  • Green Burial: A standard burial, but with an environmentally friendly twist. By going green for a funeral, you could save big on the funeral payment plan, which includes embalming fees, as well as the typical burial costs. The latter requires one to find a cemetery that offers natural burial grounds, which do not permit the use of a burial liner or a burial vault.

Receive a Full Disclosure

When you figure out how much the costs are going to be with your funeral home of choice, including any outside vendors that will charge the funeral home, make sure you get it in writing. You want to have it all planned out, and not have to worry about sudden charges that weren’t planned for.

Review the expenses before signing any contract. You want to make sure you won’t be getting charged more than what was agreed, so read any fine print and go through all the charges.

Pay for a Funeral in Advance

Don’t wait until the funeral has ended to pay for your service. Pay before the funeral happens, which allows you to get stress out of the way for any concern. It also ensures you are getting the service you paid for, and nobody tries to take advantage of you in a vulnerable situation.

How to Pay for a Funeral: Payment Plan Options

After driving the costs down, comparing prices at all funeral homes, and picking the type of funeral to plan, it’s time to discuss the funeral payment plan options. Like most ceremonial-based purchases, there are several ways to pay for a funeral.

The “simple” way of paying for a funeral in one go is paying in cash or check. All funeral homes have a funeral director. Like any entrepreneur, they will tend to give you the price they want for the funeral. With cash payment, you tend to have some negotiating power over the price.

Bartering skills are also essential in the funeral payment plan. If you are willing to pay this way, here are some things to keep in mind:

  • Funeral Homes are a business: Do not allow them to know anything that may indicate your financial situation or income. This information can change the funeral payment plan and increase costs. Funeral homes may even take advantage of your emotions in justifying their prices (e.g. “your loved one would’ve wanted this”)
  • Don’t Be Afraid, Be Informed: As aforementioned, many funeral homes will try to up-sell for their services. By pre-planning and putting some time in researching the funeral homes in your area, you have a better chance of negotiating the most affordable funeral payment plan for you.

For those who may not be able to pay in full, there are several opportunities and ways of financing a funeral payment plan through a variety of organizations, methods and government assistance packages.

Although many of these funeral payment plan options could prove beneficial, you should always research your state and local laws to see if any of the options are valid or possible in your area:

 Social Security Benefits

There is the opportunity to make a one-time payment of $225 from the Social Security Administration if you are an eligible child or spouse of someone who receive Social Security benefits. This fund is meant to help pay for costs of the funeral.

Funeral Consumer Alliance

This website can help you with tips and other information on what to do and what not to do when you are planning for a funeral.

Burial Assistance

Through the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, the National Cemetery Administration can assist with burial in a national or private cemetery for the deceased who served in the military.

County Treasurer’s Office

In your county, there could be assistance programs that help pick up the cost for someone who does not have the money for a funeral, or if relatives are unwilling to pay.

United Burial Fund

The United Burial Fund helps you with information regarding aid available in your state. They can also point you to other aid offices and groups that could help cover the costs.

But if you are looking for a fast and convenient way to gain some income for a funeral payment plan, you might want to consider title loans.

Title Loans Offer Emergency Funding

We want to help you pay for your funeral and other expenses that may occur with auto title loans. As long as you have a vehicle that has no liens or holds on its title, you could qualify for funding by using the vehicle’s title as collateral for one of our auto title loans.

Car title loans are so efficient, you may even receive your funding as soon as the next business day3!

Car title loans can be the great way for you to get a little extra money that could pay a significant part of the funeral payment plan costs. We try to give you as much of the money you need as possible, so you no longer have to worry about this expense. This is because car title loans come with a bunch of benefits and advantages.

Here are just a few:

  • High approval rate1
  • Fast funding
  • Competitive terms
  • Convenient rates
  • No balloon payments or early installment fees

To get started on an application, all you have to do is: