Funeral

Errata

You can use a local funeral director but they will try and talk you out of it

Just because they try it doesn't mean they'll succeed.

I have no need of a funeral plan, and imagine those with responsibility for barbecueing me will use the independant company my family have been using for decades. I have no preference as I will not have an interest in it.

SiannieLaz

Hey there, I work in the industry and would recommend a pre-payment plan to everyone. With the average cost of a funeral now £2500 - £3000 (cremation only) and rising it makes sense to get it paid. Be aware tho, if you want a burial, there are very few councils in the country that will let you buy a grave plot in advance anymore. I cover 30 branches in Surrey and London, and know of only 1 where you can pre-purchase a grave. I often arrange funerals for people that took out the plans some years ago, and for their original payment of £700 (for example) they are having a £4000 funeral. Going with dignity plans is ok, but there is also Golden Charter funeral plans, which are often used by small independent funeral directors. The best advice is to go to your local funeral directors and have a chat with them and see what they recomment. I know people don't like to deal with this subject, but I get more and more people all the time, who are calling for a quote. It is just like spending money on anything else, make sure you get the right deal for your needs and don't be afraid to shop around! It is not morbid or strange, it's being practical and once your parents wishes are known, it will make a difficult time much much easier for all your family.

davidbaa68

Errata wrote: »

Just because they try it doesn't mean they'll succeed.

I have no need of a funeral plan, and imagine those with responsibility for barbecueing me will use the independant company my family have been using for decades. I have no preference as I will not have an interest in it.

That's fine if the independent firm still exists. If everybody gets recommended to the Age Concern plan then Dignity will have gone a long way to eroding their market share. The mass marketing by the big companies of funeral plans is a way to dominate the market. Considering this website is supposed to be about moneysaving I would say dominance of any party should be discouraged.

David.

chrissiewants2save

Thanks for all the replies. The one thing that stands out is that it makes the whole process smoother. My parents are settled with the knowledge that it is all taken care of. And, I suppose the bonus is that they've saved money in the long run.