Can anyone recommend a best buy Funeral Plan?

katieowl wrote:

Dora we are in South East London, the basic plan cost about £2,100.

We opted for basic, the casket they provide which was "Mahogany", Hearse for coffin, parlour staff to attend crematorium, all other parties to make own way. My friend says it's about £500 dearer than her DH's funeral at the same place 6 yrs ago - so we thought it was probably about right.

Mahogany - you are joking! Isn't mahogany one of the most endangered and therefore expensive types of wood in the world???

When my daughter died, in line with her 'green' principles her widower chose a bamboo coffin. Bamboo grows like a weed and therefore isn't threatened.

It sounds like a lot, but she has no family, and for me it was essential for my peace of mind as I am taking care of her financial affairs. I would have been in a dreadful state if anything happened to her and i couldn't sort funeral out. A bit of a morbid subject, but far better to be prepared IMHO.

I agree it's better to be prepared. I've had to arrange a few funerals over the years, and in my experience it's slightly easier - well, less difficult shal we say - if it was known what the person wanted. I never used to think of it when I was much younger because all the funerals I ever heard of then were conducted in the village church and burial in the churchyard. It wasn't until I walked in on a heated argument between my mum and my aunt - the two people who brought me up - on the relative merits of burial vs cremation. It had never occurred to me until then that there was any choice to be made! My mum died in 1975 and my aunt 10 years later, I was able to arrange both their funerals in accordance with what I knew were their wishes.

Incidentally, this is what DH and I have chosen for ourselves: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6405105.stm and we have informed all our nearest and dearest so that there shall be no argument. They do the whole thing, there's a place where a service can be held, refreshments etc.

Margaret

my mum and dad pre paid their funerals abuot 15 years ago, they picked the coffin etc all at the time of buying
i do have to say it was a godsend when my dad died last year = we only really had to make a few decisions as everything was all sorted
edit to say this was with the co-op

Can never understand why people want to use these plans.
The only people that benefit are the ones selling the plans !!!
Just pay for the funeral out of the assets of the deceased surely is the best way to do it.

I guess that depends ... and some of the things it depends on might include:

Would you worry about having a good send off?

If you would, would you worry about those who have outlived you being able to afford to give you one? (I mean worry NOW about this rather than after the need has arisen, naturally ...)

Can you get it for a good price now?

Do you expect to live long enough for that to be a VERY good price when it's needed?

Do you trust the people you're buying from to still be there when it's needed?

Do you trust your nearest and dearest to be able to find the paperwork when it's needed? (which is partly your responsibility to put it in a sensible place rather than under the floorboards or behind the clock on the mantelpiece)

Anyone else?

My Mum took one out purely and simply to make things easier for me and my brother when the time comes. She'd had a stroke at the time but was able to think things through clearly, state which hymns she wanted (which we'd never have known), plus the fact that she wanted to be cremated and her ashes places in my dads grave. She had spoken about this so we knew that at least. It gave her peace of mind knowing that it was all in hand. The funeral directors have the information & I have it in a file with all her other paperwork. She has deteriarated (excuse spelling) since then and wouldn't have been capable of sorting it out.