Cheap Funeral Advice Please

BlimusOreilly

Hello,
I wonder if anyone can help me.
My sister is in the end stages of Leukemia and she has asked us to organise a very frugal funeral for her. She wants to be cremated and not embalmed and if it were possible she would like a cardboard coffin or even bag.
She is in SE London. All I can see so far is about eco funerals and that's not necessarily what she is after. Her issue is with funeral directors making money out of families grief (and I fully back her up there).
Anyone got any experience of this?
Thanks,
Blimus

TBeckett100

i think you have to take the view that funeral directors do have a lot of council funerals to do - where there is no family etc and the state pays a minimal amount. it is important to have professionalism at the end and a good send off

if you look on ebay there are usually some coffins that crop up.
i often wondered whether anyone shopped around after death or just went with a local one and accepted the cost.

belfastgirl23

No advice but just to say very sorry to hear about your situation.

kazwookie

http://www.ecopod.co.uk/index.php?pageid=Home

I came across this.

(Note:- I am not connected with the above company)

Sorry to hear about your sister

floss2

Can I add that even if you go for a cardboard coffin, it has to be made to a certain standard & of certain materials, and they are not cheap.

When you actually break down what a funeral director does, and accept that they have costs to be covered, like most things you cannot really avoid paying for a professional service.

If you contact someone locally, and also your local Coop Funeralcare, you should be able to get a rough idea of cost.

searching_me

my nan died last year and she also said she wanted a very frugal funeral which we did.... just stick to the basics no funeral cars, do not let the funeral director do the flowers, the cheapest coffin they have (believe me they do them they just dont tell you) do it in a church were you may pay a small fee or sometime some churchs are happy to take a smaller fee if you allow them to have half of the donations, wake food done by yourself or familt (my nan didnt want one so we didnt) anyway hope this helps xxx

Penny_Watcher

BlimusOreilly I'm terribly sorry for the situation you and your sister find yourself in.

Below is a link I have found for a cardboard coffin.

http://www.peacefunerals.co.uk/PeaceFunerals-Coffins.html

Although the company won't be of use to you as it's based in Yorkshire, it gives you some idea of price.

floss2 wrote: »

When you actually break down what a funeral director does, and accept that they have costs to be covered, like most things you cannot really avoid paying for a professional service.

There was an article in our local paper last year that said the local council charge the funeral directors approximately £600 per cremation.

Wishing you strength at the difficult time.

kittamins

HI, i am new to MSE, and this is my first post so hope I am doing this correctly
I work as a Funeral Director for a very large firm,and I too agree that their charges are unbeliveable, you could ask for their version of the "Limited Service package" which is really just the basics no cars, Embalming etc etc and is currently £ 1500 cheaper then the average Funeral, they just dont like to advertise this as they make no money


hugs x

floss2

Penny_Watcher wrote: »

......There was an article in our local paper last year that said the local council charge the funeral directors approximately £600 per cremation......

This will be to cover the costs of running a crematorium to meet very high emissions requirements.....also staff, fuel etc. A burial would be no cheaper as you have digging costs + the plot.

bookduck

I'm sorry for you! My mum died suddenly this morning, now after the same thing as you.

Thank you kittamins for your advice. Kittamins, how much does the average funeral cost?

margaretclare

I am so sorry for your news. However, to keep costs down, do not have limousines/funeral cars. Don't have flowers, except perhaps a few very simple ones from family only. If people want to they could give to charity instead. Don't have newspaper announcements.

Apart from that, it depends so much on the person, what she was like, what she wanted. A religious service, or not? Hymns and an organist, or not? Burial or cremation?

Woodland burials may be cheaper. Have a look: http://www.naturaldeath.org.uk/

Peace Funerals of Sheffield, quoted in post #7 above. For SE London, have a look: http://www.naturalmatters.net/article.asp?article=2070&cat=13