Tips for how to cut funeral costs – from choosing a weekday to hosting the wake at home

Losing a loved one is an extremely difficult time but unfortunately, at the same time as grieving, you will have to deal with the costs and logistics of a funeral. This is made even worse by the fact that the average cost of a funeral in the UK is £8,864¹, and searches for ‘budget funeral’ are up by +400%.

With this in mind, life insurance broker Reassured has put together tips on little adjustments you can make to cut funeral costs:

1. Think about donating the body to medical research

Donating your loved one’s body to medical research is something worth considering. The donation will benefit medical science and will help to avoid the cost of a burial or cremation. Just make sure you bear in mind your lost loved one’s thoughts on a donation to medical research.

2. Host the wake at home

Hosting a wake at home with homemade food will not cost very much at all. A lot of the party will feel more comfortable grieving within a familiar environment, this is a much more personal and private approach to a funeral.

3. Consider cremation

There is a big difference in cost between a cremation and a traditional burial, with cremations costing £3,765 compared to burials at £4,927 on average². And why not save more money and arrange it directly through the crematory or the funeral directors.

4. Cut back on flowers

Like weddings, flowers are big expense for funerals. To cut back on flower costs make sure you decline the offer of a flower package from the funeral director, and either hire a florist or buy the flowers yourself. Also, choose flowers that are in season as these will be much cheaper.

5. Make your own food

It is a luxury to have caterers make all the food for you, but why not team up with other family and friends to make the food together, that way you can align the food options with your lost loved ones preference. Finger foods and cake are all suitable funeral options, that can be easily prepared at home.

6. Do your research on director fees

Different funeral directors charge different fees, so make sure you get a range of quotes from different companies before making the right decision for you and your family.

7. Choose a weekday

Services are more expensive on a weekend rather than on weekdays. If you can be flexible on dates, then it’s recommended you choose a weekday morning as it will save you some money.

A spokesperson at Reassured comments on the research “Funerals bring a lot of unexpected costs but if you have a funeral cover in place, it can help you cover the costs of your funeral in advance so that your loved ones are not left with any severe costs. We hope that our top tips also help you to lower the cost of a funeral.”

For more information on funeral planning please visit https://www.reassured.co.uk/funeral-plans/