A cheap funeral required

PennyForThem_2

donnac2558 said:

I have donated my body to the local university medical teaching.    No paying for any sort of funeral, they do it all after 3 years of using your copse, and you request cremation or burial. Teaching future doctors. I don't believe in any religious stuff, so I don't care.   When you die, just a piece of dead meat.   You do have to get the forums countersigned when donating.

I have a feeling that they are now getting a bit fussy about who they accept for this - but, yea, worth a try!

Savvy_Sue

Gers said:

TBagpuss said:

 

 There was a funeral, but we picked the cheapest coffin (corrugated cardboard) not extra funeral cars and held the services are the crematorium (their ashes were later interred in the churchyard in their village church, which is a lot cheaper than having a funeral there.

In the sad event that the person who died was under 16, the CofE doesn't charge for the funeral or burial, but I think there would still be the usual costs for a cremation. 

Before he died in 1997 my Dad insisted on having a cardboard coffin, it turned out to be much more expensive than a simple pine one would have been. Firstly, the funeral director had to travel from Glasgow to Carlisle to collect on. Secondly, the crematorium charged a higher fee because of the different emissions, having to apply for a special certificate from the local authority and the changes to the controls (?) and thirdly it was horrible!  Really boxy.  It was the early days of cardboard coffins and it was so nasty.  Never again.

I think that even today cardboard is not recommended because of the emissions.

My late mother had a pine coffin last year and wore a simple shift supplied by the FD. She couldn't see the point of burning clothes which were perfectly good and could go to a charity shop.  She was a one of a kind.

I spent very little on her funeral, instead I had a gathering of friends and family where we celebrated her life.

What you say about the cardboard coffin, yes, that's what we were told about why it would be more expensive. 

MiL is discussing her requirements with us atm, and I keep wondering whether to raise the question of what she'd like to be buried in. She was at a wedding not long ago, looking fabulous, and I'm torn between "I want her to look fabulous" and "she's only worn that outfit once, shall I try to sell it or donate it?" 

I've told DH I shall bury him in his favouritest suit, his birthday suit, if he goes first (he always enjoys it when I initiate these conversations ...) and that's what he'll be wearing if anyone wants to view him. I hope the FD doesn't obstruct this intention.

BooJewels

I realise that the conversation has diverted a little from the OP's question - but I just want to put this out there in the context of that original question. 

If you're going for a low cost funeral / direct cremation option, what the deceased 'wears' might well not be a choice you're given.  I've arranged 2 funerals recently, a 'normal' [-ish] one in the original lockdown and a direct cremation more recently and for different reasons I couldn't provide clothes for the departed for either - disappointing, as instructions had been left in both cases and I couldn't honour them. 

We came to a compromise for the latter one, but I can't bring myself to write it down just now.  So just be mindful, that's perhaps one of the ways in which costs are kept down - some of these options are reduced.  And coffins were never even discussed for the latter - I always assumed that one wasn't even used, it would be something practical and rudimentary.

donnac2558

PennyForThem_2 said:

donnac2558 said:

I have donated my body to the local university medical teaching.    No paying for any sort of funeral, they do it all after 3 years of using your copse, and you request cremation or burial. Teaching future doctors. I don't believe in any religious stuff, so I don't care.   When you die, just a piece of dead meat.   You do have to get the forums countersigned when donating.

I have a feeling that they are now getting a bit fussy about who they accept for this - but, yea, worth a try!

No, I had to read and quality for their T&C.   They don't really want perfect bodies, as no good for teaching about different diseases.

I have no family, so if they don't want me in the end the council will just have to do it.   Back when the Discussion part of the forum was here, a guy said he wanted his copse taken away in his wheelie bin to the dump.  He was not paying for a funeral, and his family would not be paying for one either.

As I said I will be just a piece of dead meat.

Mojisola

donnac2558 said:

No, I had to read and quality for their T&C.   They don't really want perfect bodies, as no good for teaching about different diseases.

It's not about perfect bodies - this isn't exhaustive but bodies will probably be rejected if a donor dies in the uni holidays, or over a bank holiday when the body can't be dealt with immediately, if a post-mortem was carried out, if the donor had recent surgery, if the donor died from a severe infection, if the donor was emaciated or obese and if they died away from where the uni is based.

If people know that you want the council to provide a funeral if the donation is refused, that's what will happen.

The council will reclaim the costs from your estate, if you leave anything.