MSE Poll: Have you planned for your funeral?

M'father-in-law left no instructions or plans (other than "leave me out for the dustman"), so the womenfolk had to cope.

It was painful to watch and an eyeopener at how much it ended up costing. And I still haven't done anything about my funeral - but it has bounced up the To Do list.

I do wish funeral parlours did a loyalty scheme "buy one get one discounted" or whatever, although I'm told just being a coop member gets you £50 off. (Website phrases it differently - "exclusive member prices on Co-op funerals and funeral plans - saving you at least £150" - clearly forward planning saves additional money.)

This may not suit everyone, but do-it-yourself funerals are perfectly legal, and save thousands of pounds. We have done two now, the first for my father (he was such a skinflint, it was what he insisted on himself) in 2004 and again for my mother, in 2017.
It isn't compulsory to use an undertaker, my father died in hospital and was taken from the ward to the hospital mortuary. We bought a cardboard bio-degradable coffin online which cost less than £200 including delivery. The mortuary staff were lovely and very helpful, we took the coffin in and they helped us put dad into it (although they would have done it for us if we hadn't wanted to be involved with that) and the coffin fitted in the back of an estate car. We had bought a plot in the Woodland Area of the local cemetery which cost around £900 including digging the grave and filling it in afterwards, and loaning the straps to lower the coffin. At the graveside, all the family contributed to a 'service' with readings, poetry, and shared memories, much more appropriate for non-religious people. Then back to our home for tea and sandwiches and chatting with the relatives and friends, everyone agreed that it was nicer and more personal than a normal funeral. Ten years later we repeated it when my mother died, we decorated her cardboard coffin with family photographs and flowers from her own garden. Had we wanted a cremation, the nearest council-run crematorium would have been happy to help us with that, again at minimal cost (under £700). Funeral directors lead people to believe that it is compulsory to use their services, but I can confirm that it isn't, and it's strangely comforting to do that last final thing for loved ones. If anyone wants any more information, they can message me.
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Funeral bought & paid for, arranged even down to something I have requested they say to my son, who with luck will be the only one left to attend!

ETA I commented on here mostly because there wasn't an appropriate box to tick. Hopefully my chosen funeral director will still be there in 20 years as I am planning on living at wellinto my nineties.