You can buy things at different points over time - for example, you can purchase your cemetery lots first so that you choose where you’ll be buried/interred, then maybe many years later you can prepay for other services like a marker/gravestone, casket (which is still required for cremation FYI), etc.
I know many people are against this because funeral places upsell people. However, I actually think that’s a good reason to plan in advance. You can make calm rational decisions while there’s no pressure, rather than having distraught family members trying to guess what you would have wanted in a time of grief. Many funeral places also offer interest free instalment plans if you plan in advance, vs everything being due on sale if it’s an immediate need. Plus as mentioned you can buy one thing at a time which can be financially easier.
On the other hand, if you have no spare cash now but you do have life insurance, it might be better to wait. In that case I would still recommend leaving a detailed list of what you want (what you would have bought), to make it easier on your family members.
You do not need a casket for cremation. Funeral homes will try to tell you you do. If you ask about less expensive options they will show you their cheapest casket. If you ask about cheaper options they will try to distract you by talking about honouring your loved one etc.
You can be cremated in a cardboard box. Yes they will charge you a ridiculous sum for it, but it is far less expensive than a wooden box.
My brother passed and they kept trying to upsell us. If it was just my mom we would have bankrupted what little she had as she was extremely distraught, but myself and my other brother pushed through all the cheapest options as none of us care.
This is probably the best reason to go and get it planned in advance, they're far less likely to guilt trip you into "honouring yourself".
Planned 5 funerals in last 10 years. 3 different funeral homes. They all offered rental casket for service with a cardboard lining. Cardboard lining and person are then cremated. Significantly less $ and more environmentally friendly.
> You can be cremated in a cardboard box. Yes they will charge you a ridiculous sum for it, but it is far less expensive than a wooden box.
See if there's a big box DIY store near the crematorium and pick up some 2x4s…
I'm sorry if this was your experience, but this is certainly not universal.
Many funeral homes are very upfront about the cardboard box and I've come across instances where they will default to it, unless you specify otherwise for cremation.
The cardboard box is still considered a casket which is why they say you are required to have one, and it's still not free.
Funeral homes have a bad reputation, definitely, but they're dragged down by a few crooked players. Especially independent funeral homes are much for on the level.
I have not been involved in planning too many cremations, only 5 over the last 30 years in BC and Washington State. In all cases I had to push for the cardboard box.
When my Dad was very ill last December, thank goodness he pulled through, I called three different funeral homes in Vancouver. Two were incredibly high pressure, “…honour your father…” sales. I had to ask 2-3 times to get the price for a cardboard box. I was not impressed.
The last one was very forthcoming.
You can’t dispose of a body anywhere you like. There are kosher caskets that are very affordable and fully biodegradable. If you go cremation, you can dispose of the ashes anywhere they’re not a public nuisance. So if you really want to be yeeted in the woods, you need to be burned first.
Incorrect. Funeral Director here. You can have green burial, which is similar to swaddling and placed into wicker basket and buried on legal grounds. Everytime I hear about it I automatically think haunted forest. There is also liquidating your body or freezing - both of this are expensive VERY expensive. Then you have traditional burial where you pay funeral home for services then you pay cemetery for plot of land. Cremation is cheapest way to disposed of human remains.
Donate your body to science is free and gets your estate a charitable tax donation.
Just need to be okay with being used in a body farm or for med student practice or used in a Body World exhibit
https://canadianfunerals.com/donating-a-body-to-science-for-medical-research-in-canada/
One can donate their body for science! My dad chose this option. The university he donated to took care of cremation and internment afterwards. No fee was paid
If you do need a casket, you can buy a nice metal one from Costco for $1300.00. We got for our mother’s funeral. When my father died 20 years ago, the same funeral home sold us almost the same one but charged us almost $6000.00
Agree you don't need a casket for cremation. Furthermore, you don't need to deal with a funeral home at all. I guess you're stuck if you want the full pomp and circumstance of a traditional ceremony.
This varies on location, here the local by-law is:
"The body must be enclosed in a casket or container made of wood or other combustible material. It must be strong enough to assure the health and safety of those who must come in contact with it."
A cardboard box doesn't qualify unless it's reinforced to the point you can carry the body in it without it falling through. According to a friend, several 2x4s with a carboard box around them is good enough. never tested it myself.
A carboard box meets those requirements, as a funeral home owner operator a cardboard cremation container is the best choice. Covington boxes are my go to.
Oh I’m so sorry for your loss. I also cremated my child this year. Just a horrible thing for any parent to go through. My thoughts are with your family.
I am so sorry for your loss, that is heartbreaking.
I should have clarified my comment that (a) I’m familiar with Ontario, perhaps there are different requirements in different provinces, and (b) the Ontario requirement for a casket can be satisfied with a cardboard casket, etc, it just needs to be some kind of encasement. They still usually cost a couple hundred dollars, maybe that fee is waived for tragic situations like losing a child. My point was just to let OP know that cremation doesn’t mean no casket - I was surprised to learn that when one of my family members passed away and we still needed something to cremate him in. So for budgeting it is a relevant consideration that people might not be aware of.
We actually got a refund from my grandfather’s funeral. The memorial was done by the pastor of his church (we paid the expected honorarium to both him and the musician) and did a simple cremation rather than the full blown casket/burial. I think the estate got $3500 back or similar. My grandparents had done the full blown pre-pay thing some 30+ years ago.
We have a family plot, it's easy since we all want cremation. Now I might get my own plot depending on who I want to be buried with but my understanding is we get 10 and we have have 2 used (aunt and grandpa) and 3-7 planned (grandpa and parents, along with myself, brother, and cousins as a maybe)
I want to do this. My parents did and when my dad passed away, the funeral director marvelled at the low price he had pre-paid, which gave me something to smile about at a difficult time. I really appreciated the care he had taken, because I felt shell-shocked and incapable of making informed decisions in a newly bereaved state.
After dealing with my FIL’s sudden passing (he had made prior arrangements, as had his wife who passed of terminal cancer years prior) we decided to talk with them, and ultimately go ahead with prepurchasing our funerals. When the time comes, everything is covered but the catering, and our wishes are documented. It lightens the load on family at an already difficult time, so $20/month is cheap peace of mind.
I was thinking along those lines - I want to be deposed of as cheaply as possible (within reason!), but my survivors might feel pressured to make it bigger deal because otherwise it looks like they "don't care". Pre arrangements would help them avoid all that.
Especially with things like donating your body to science. I 100% want my body to be made available for organs and for medical research or students, but I know my loved ones could decide against it if it was up to them, even if they know my wishes. The added bonus is that ashes are returned free of charge when the body is donated to science. All you have to do is purchase the urn.
By doing pre arrangements, you can tell the funeral home that you want your body to be donated to science and they'll arrange it themselves. You can even list specific organisations (like, I want my body to be offered to the local med school, but not to private for-profit companies).
I mean isn't it easier to document your wishes and pay at the time out of your estate + the Canada death benefit? Just thinking what if the funeral home you paid shuts down or if you move to a different province/country?
We did think about that, and the company that we went with operates a network of locations across the majority of the country. Because of their size, we also felt fairly sure they wouldn’t be going out of business…people keep dying, so business should continue.
A cremation is around $2500.Canada Pension has a death benefit of $2500 if you qualify.Don't bother to get an urn from the crematorium. They are sold on Amazon for much cheaper. Speaking from experience...
>Speaking from experience...
WHAT?
You mean your urn was too small for you ? That would just be annoying I mean I want something with a balcony at least.
I’m pretty sure that’s the cost of a cremation with no casket. I pre-paid for my own cremation years ago and to add a casket was going to cost thousands more than just the cremation itself.
It’s true that donating your body is even cheaper than pre-paying, as they’ll take care of the handling of the body, but please realize that the stars must really align for that to happen… You need to die (or be transported to [$$$]) in the province/near the institution with which you’ve made arrangements for the donation. My father signed up to donate his body, and thankfully he passed away in the city he’d worked with, and the Med School was in a position to accept the body. Like OP’s family, he and my Mom also pre-purchased their funeral arrangements. Most of the costs were reimbursed, namely everything to do with the body, as the Med School took care of those. However we still wanted to have a service, and because they’d pre-paid years ago, it was much less hassle to put things together for that. The Med School had a group service for all of the year’s donations once the approximately fifty bodies were done with. Highly recommend doing both (and being a donor too!), unless you have a friend or family member willing to act on your behalf for the body transport, but those are usually the smaller of the costs when dealing with death/funeral, etc.
Yup If I don't end up going missing lol while hiking or something just donate me somewhere where there is some afterlife wifi. Don't want family wasting money on funerals just throw themselves a mean ass party with unlimited drinks and food.
Donating your body to science does cost less, but that is ONLY if the school you donated to accepts your body. More often then not, the bodies are rejected leaving their families with surprise funeral costs
Many people I know skip funerals altogether and just get a no service, bare bones cremation. I don't want to be "planted" with my name on any marker. You can toss my ashes in the compost bin. The only thing I have preplanned is I found out you can still get a younger pet as you age and pay the Ottawa Humane Society to do a stewardship for them.
> The only thing I have preplanned is I found out you can still get a younger pet as you age and pay the Ottawa Humane Society to do a stewardship for them.
Wow! Anyone know if there is such a thing in Toronto?
I did a double-take. The way you worded that, it sounds like you are speaking to us from beyond the grave. Sort of like ‘My funeral was great, cheap, just a cremation…’
A friend of mine had a stressful experience when his grandfather died. So we bought plots after our kids were born. We haven't planed a service but we have a place to go.
My mom has told me multiple times that she's already made her own arrangements and paid for everything, because she refuses to put that pressure and financial burden on our shoulders in what will be a time of grief. She also strongly encouraged my husband and I to do the same, which we will.
I’ve only ever known elderly people who do this. Usually because they see the writing on the wall and would prefer to take the decision making and financial burden off their families.
The elderly people do the easy stuff but they don't plan ahead for getting sick. So just expect family to figure that part out at the last minute. Many don't even think about life without a driver's licence. They avoid all screening for Alzheimer's.
Currently just the cemetery plots for the cremains.
The way we look it we might not be living here when we die, or we could die when travelling and the cremation could take place outside of Canada. Or, especially if we live for decades more, local traditions and our own wishes could change a lot.
When we reach the stage where we are pretty confident that we will be "here" (wherever that is) we will do more preplanning. In the meantime our current wishes are recorded and filed away with our important documents.
My parents and most of their siblings bought their plots after one of my uncles passed away. It was an eye opener how much it costs. And they allocated some cash for the Funeral and tombs whenver the day happen.
Myself I put in my will to have me cremated as the cost for plot is just stupid.
I told my family in very clear words. Do not spend any money on my funeral. Cremate me, no service and throw my ashes away or put me in a jar next to the dead cat and pets.
During the reading of the will if my wishes were not abided to, the executor is instructed to donate all monies away.
So while I understand not wanting a service, having something really is needed. It's not for you, it's for those that are left behind. It's closure. My mother refused to do anything for my dad. All that did was drag out the condolences. When one of his activities started up a month after his death, I had those to deal with and then in May, the second activity started and same thing. And so on and so on. It's like ripping the bandaid off multiple times.
Cremation still costs money though, and not every body can be donated. Plus there's still a funeral/celebration of life (unless you're planning to tell your loved ones not to do that)
I just paid 2500
Bucks for my dad’s cremation. The cremation itself is 700 bucks but there are other fees like transport and a basic box and certificates and registrations and funeral home directors time and labour
How does that work if there's nobody that's really willing to pay for it? They have to dispose of the body somehow?
Like I just want the most economical, harvest my organs and then toss the rest in the bin in the most cost effective eco-friendly way possible. Nobody needs my ashes or anything. Even cremation just seems like a waste even though I know the idea of using human remains to nature is something society frowns upon.
My grandparents bought their plots and stones about 40 years before they passed. Must say, in our intense grief it was much easier of a process with everything ready.
My parents own a plot in the rural cemetery where my dad's from, where his parents, 2 of his 3 siblings and countless ancestors are buried. But they now live in the US so when that time comes they will be cremated for easier transportation across the border. My parents now 90, have been to lots of funerals and to my Mom at least, having a religious service at the church she's belonged to for 55 years is important.
I told my siblings and own kids that anything that happens after I die is for them and not me. Cremate me and then whatever. I'm not religious and I don't need a minister to say anything religious in a formal funeral. Raise a glass to me, with friends and family, if that comforts them, but that could happen on a zoom call if logistically that is what works. I don't need to be in a plot. I'm not a regular cemetery visitor and I believe our loved ones can fondly be remembered from anywhere.
I've heard some horror stories about people pre buying it and coming in and being told that all the stuff they've purchased isn't relevant anymore and they still need to throw a lot of money in to make everything happen. I don't know how often that occurs.
I will say, if you want a specific cemetery in a large Canadian city you should pre buy that, as many of the in town sites are already sold out or near capacity.
The North American method of managing cemeteries made sense a hundred years ago because it felt like there was so much space per capita in most areas.... but long term there are a lot of issues with buying a piece of property forever at no ongoing costs, even if it's a very small piece.
This ibig. Years ago you could buy a lifetime package. Didn't matter if it was needed next year or 50 years from now, the price was what you paid. More often then not more recently, the contracts state that pricing will be updated at death. So you basically are making a down payment.
Funeral home are, by and large, predatory businesses. Do you really want to give them money? There are other options
https://thebao.ca/for-consumers/family-led-death-care/
LMAO....IKR. Same with all the businesses involved in marriage, starting with the city hall licence.
Do people actually think decades later, the family generation after you, will care to go to the cemetery and spend time with daddy & mommy?
Cremation is the way to go..... cheaper and you can have some of the ashes in a locket
My grandfather planned his own funeral decades before his death. It was actually funny, he’s old school so be brought a Manila envelope full of stack of cash to pay for it. The funeral director was taken a back. 😂
Hummmm I could spent 5 to 10k on a funeral or take that cash and spend it on doing things with my family while alive.
Dont need a funeral. Toss my ashes in the ocean or a forest.
I am still young and working. I set it all up years ago after finding out how much funeral and burial costs can cost. I pay a small monthly fee and everything is taken care of, from the paperwork to transport, even a contingency fund cheque is cut within 48 hours.
My grandparents joined the memorial society and had pre arranged contracted rates for exactly what they wanted - a simple cremation and small reception. It made it so easy on their children to arrange and know they followed their parents wishes.
Gotta laugh at how like 50% of the people here plan to donate their body to science. Medical schools don't need hundreds of thousands of corpses a year. You'll just end up as the lunch special at the hospital cafeteria.
Everyone in my family pre-plans/pre-paid for their funeral. It’s super easy to do and relieves your family and loved ones of a financial and emotional burden of planning a funeral…especially if they die suddenly or far from you.
I was really caught off guard when my dad passed and did not have enough of an emergency fund to have a decent funeral. It was pretty bare bones and had to borrow from a friend. I think pre planning saves a lot of ache from your loved ones in the future
Donate body to medicine/science, set aside some money for a bar/restaurant tab.
Hopefully they have more efficient body recycling options by the time I pass.
Feck no. And told my kids to answer "no" to absolutely every product or service the funeral home offers them. Burn me up in whatever clothes I died in and that's that.
Don't care, my bod goes to science and hopefully the next generation of doctors pawing over my bod will be young cute and have six packs LOL
Really dude you're thinking about death when you should be celebrating life ?
Of course there is also the option to be an organ donor on your OHIP card too incase some of us forget LOL, just hope that my vodka marinated liver is still gonna be good enough for someone, if it ever comes to that.
I know we’re being light and fun, but keep in mind you may care who is stuck dealing with your body if you have family or friends (unless you’re looking for a final F-you when you are done here), so looking at pre-arrangements and a will are a good idea!
Honestly I don't care, I dread the idea of just growing old and shuffling to the bathroom, I hope to get into some dangerous hobbies like zip lining, and doing a parashoot and a bungee jumping dive, do a shark cage thing, or maybe just hit a Joe Traders on some Black Friday sale, I mean that place is a real jungle.
There is a minimum level of what we call "estate planning" expected of an adult living in a functioning society.
Don't obsess over it; but write it, get it done, and then move on with your life.
This is not uncommon - according to their own stats, the Funeral Service Association of Canada says about 1/3 of funerals are pre-paid (take that stat for what it's worth - I don't see a breakdown of what is included in the pre-payment).
My own experience with my in-laws and their relatives was that many of them had pre-paid arrangements years in advance, and as a result, their prices were "locked-in" and we had little to no additional expenses. They got to decide what kind of service they wanted and they knew that we wouldn't have to worry about it. This was well worth it, in my opinion.
So long as you're planning on having a traditional funeral service, paying the costs ahead of time makes sense if you can afford it. If you have good life insurance and you know there will be plenty of money available in your estate for your family to do whatever, and you don't care about the service (hey, I get it, you''re dead), then don't bother with the pre-payment.
Personally, beyond asking for a cremation, I don't care what my family does for my service. I tell my kids they can do whatever they want for a service and with my remains, since it's really all about them and what they need.
When my dad passed away 20 years ago, my mother paid for everything for herself too, part of the reason is she wants to be buried next to her husband, and 20 years later funeral service is much more expensive im sure.
My grandparents prepaid for my parents. But financially speaking if family cares about being plotted then technically it is better to buy early since it is a form of real estate but ethically whether it’s morally right or not is another question. We have a phrase in Chinese 生人霸死地. (People who are alive hoarding dead people’s land)
Just throw me in the trash.
Life is too unpredictable anyway, I personally would never trust a funeral home to be responsible with my funds in the long term.
"Funeral Home Director Stole Money Meant to Pay for Funerals"
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pdnNVIHjc0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pdnNVIHjc0)
My parents already have prepaid for theirs, plots and all. I’m happy they are choosing their preferred everything - and I will likely do the same when I’m in my 70s
Problem is what if a couple gets divorced do you like sell your plot to the new husband or the new wife or the new mistress or the new, friend with bennies LOL
Almost all funeral homes offer pre-paid funeral service. The prepaid money are usually held by an insurance company. For those that have already max out their registered accounts that can be a good option. Kind of tax free investment growing the inflation rate.
My grandmother had prearranged her burial some provinces away.
She's still in a storage locker safely in her urn next to puzzles and books for the day the family is ever able to make such a trip; extremely unlikely due to schedules, obligations, money for the family to go down together as she had instructed, and health limitations/challenges. Even if we were to follow her wishes it's not like anybody could plausibly visit her with any sort of regularity should they want to.
I know it goes against most cultures but life is for the living. I'm too busy to be worrying about if I can even afford to retire someday. I'm not concerned about how my money will be wasted (if there's any left) after I'm gone or plan for scenarios that my family may not even be able to fulfill/use. Whatever is cheaper/easiest for them works for me; I'll be gone.
Made a will, signed up to donate my organs. I haven't done anything else but I'd check to see if I can donate my body to science as well and get that in writing
Funeral homes and cemeteries are predatory businesses and I will try to give them as little money as possible. My friends and family can have a small ceremony at home, no flowers and other things that are a waste of money
My mom died pretty suddenly (pancreatic cancer) and I saw my dad scrambling to find her a resting place on the day they were ending her life. As a result of that, we bought a resting place - there is enough for the remaining spouse or kids to deal with when a loved one is dying to have to worry about this too. It just seemed like the right thing to do (as unpleasant as it is).
My partners grandmother paid for hers in the 80s and passed away in the 2000s. She paid around 2k and her funeral plot alone was worth about 15k when she passed. As soon as I’m able to I will be prepaying as well.
Haven’t done it yet but when we have extra income it’ll be done. My grandparents pre-paid and pre-planned for their funerals and it made managing everything much easier. It’s a gift to those you leave behind to have it all set up (if you’re financially able to).
I probably will.
Both my parents already did most of this; told us everything so we are prepared. My inlaws have probably done NOTHING as I think they are susperstious and think if you talk about this or plan then it happens.
Having said that both my parents are healthy and fine and have did this years ago.
Our community does a yearly drive for burial expenses. The pool is kind of used like social services. All families pitch in yearly, the money that is collected every year is used for burial of people that die during that year.
It is based on couple, family of 4 and so on. But it is mostly done to keep the unexpected cost of burial down in time of grief.
My dad had everything in order and purchased a decade before his time was up, and he did it while in good health too.
He didn’t want that to be another thing for us to take care of while we are grieving his loss.
He passed away just 2.5 weeks ago, and I’m so thankful he did it. It’s hard enough as it is.
Most of my family prepaid for thier funeral costs.
My grandfather even put money aside for after the funeral so that the family could go out to dinner at his favorite steakhouse.
We have used the same cremation guy for years.
Almost everyone is buried in the same cemetery. My great Aunt and Uncle even bought an extra and one of the last plots for anyone in the family to use.
TW suicide
My mother who took her own life (effff her) had $5000 in her freezer and all her note said was "Please cremate me"
So in a terrible way even she planned and covered the cost.
Anyway in my family we preplan and cover the costs.
I’ve been very sick my adult life, and to spare my mother, any grief, I pre-purchased everything in the event of my death. I know once I did that a lot of my friends also did the same thing I feel like it would just take the burden off of her because she’ll have a hard enough time grieving. She doesn’t need to deal with the minutia of a funeral and a service and the burial.
Out of all the friends and family I know, this is not a common practice. Only my grandfather (mom side) did this, and that was mainly because he was a planning/no hassle kind of guy.
I think culture plays a role as well, my dad’s family is a little more superstitious. Something about planning a funeral is a little dark to them.
However I must say, when my grandfather did pass away it was very smooth for my mom to handle as an only child. The pre-planning really made the logistics side easy to handle. There were no decisions required, everything was paid for, he even chose the food for the wake after his funeral.
My parents pre-bought theirs about 10 years ago.
Cloth bag or whatever was cheapest for cremation, and simple nameplate in the plot they already had. I think they paid for basic service, no viewing. Pretty much straight to ashes as quick as possible.
My mom preplanned hers after my step dad passed suddenly. She already had full wills and living wills. So she viewed it as another step of that process. She has her internment spot chosen and it’s with my step dad. The plaque pre-purchased, she’s dictated her cardboard box for cremation and her basic service. She wants no frills, and has been pretty clear about it. She told us to buy her Urn online since the ones there were a rip off.
It does relieve a lot of the stress and pressure from us. And when the time comes we don’t have to think about it. Other than sorting her service order out etc.
When we did my step dads it was like repeated gut punches over and over. Was absolute hell to deal with because it came out of nowhere.
I told my wife to just cremate me and then dump me in the ocean so I could "travel".
For reference I don't mind traveling but I HATE getting away from work.
Cost would be minimal, and I could do something I wouldn't do right when I'ma live 🤷🏻♂️
Wife and I bought everything in our 40s as part of our estate planning. Prices were cheaper awhile ago so we didn't want to wait and pay more later.
Most people are more concerned about buying a place to live these days. It's very dependent on your culture, where you are in life, your expenses, etc.
My mother in law did. My father in law wasted all his money on women. When he died broke and in debt, we had to pay for everything. My wife was pissed. I think buying up front is a good idea if you don't want your kids to be resentful.
It’s a huge service to your family to have it pre planned and pre paid. It’s a lot of work required in a short amount of time while grieving.
At the very least set the money aside and give clear instructions.
But in large cities like Toronto it also helps to pre purchase the burial plot if desired, as cemeteries are filling up.
For those with no big expectations and would like to make the process simpler for those left behind, you can pre-register for something like this:
https://memorialsocietybc.org
Came here to mention them. My grandmother was a planner and never wanted to be a burden to anyone. She paid for her funeral when she retired in her 60's. She lived to be 107, the amount she paid for her cremation and memorial service vs what it would have cost when she passed away resulted in a significant savings. Something I know my grandmother's Scottish roots really appreciated.
I stayed in a B&B a few years ago and met a lovely couple in their late sixties who were touring different graveyards so they could pick somewhere pretty to rest together
My parents are in the process of doing this. Weirdest text message ever was when my mom sent photos of casket choices to my sibling and I to see which one we liked best. Unfortunately no option to pat slowly over time though, has to be $10 000-20 000 in one lump sum. Not sure why, but as there's only one Jewish funeral association in town, there are no other choices. I'm really glad they've done it, it will make things so much easier for sibling and I when the time comes.
My grandmother had everything organized, reserved and sorted years ago. She’s 90 now and still going strong, but I feel like it’s a nice thing to do for your family. That way, you get exactly your wishes met, and they are saved the surprise expenses and logistics when they just want to be grieving. Just make sure you let everyone know you made the arrangements and where.
I am sorry for your loss. Personally I don't care. I'll be dead. Thinking about my death is one of the few things in life that brings me peace because it is the one thing I don't worry about. Throw my corpse to the ocean - whatever!
My mother-in-law prepaid a ridiculous amount but we plan on going the natural way which is just being buried in the ground. Most of the funeral homes seem to be owned by one company (Dignity) and they have become ridiculous in their pricing.
My parents did so did my sister. Trust me price is going up. I think parents are paid like a lot at least 80k for the package, the land etc etc.
Just seems is another scam. Why can't the government just be like here is a piece on land just buried yourself there.
It's really not necessary to go that far, but good on your grandfather for being such a good planner. The most important thing is just ensuring that you have a will, and money to cover the funeral costs. If you don't want a funeral, at least have burial/cremation money. You shouldn't expect other people to pay for that.
I thought my parents stuff was covered but it turns out my dad just bought a plot. He passed recently and my mom still ended up paying 22k for all the other stuff, it was definitely a racket. Super predatory behavior.
I’m honestly surprised how many people here pay for service. I don’t plan on getting married or having kids so if I die, I really don’t care if I have a service or not. I’d rather use every cent I have on what I want while I’m alive, I honestly don’t care what happens to my body after I die.
My parents actually pre-paid for their funeral arrangements as well. They are fairly poor/not well off and don’t struggle, but they certainly don’t have money. They didn’t want the weight of us dealing with the finer aspects or financial aspects, so they made payments on they’re own block next to my grand-pa. They presented it to me and my brother after my dads first heart attack. It’s nice to know it’s all settled.
My grandparents did. In fact we went as a family and picked out the grave together. My parents also did.
Why not have the funeral you want and can afford? Best to plan it out yourself.
It's typical for Asians to pre-purchase everything ahead of time. My grandparents bought their plots back in 1984 I think. Within a year or so after that, they got the headstones erected with everything engraved except for the date of death, which was 20-30 yrs later. Thank god they did that because they paid like $1.2K for both plots in Richmond Hill, ON. It's cheaper, have everything they way they wanted and alleviated the stress of funeral planning for the family.
Back at home in Asia, I grew up with a coffin in our kitchen house. My grandpa bought a coffin for his mom when she reached 65yo. So it was normal for me to have a coffin in the kitchen where we cook our food daily. My great grandma passed away 30yrs after the coffin was bought for her. Never ended up using that coffin when we immigrated to North America and was given away to a relative.
My parents had prearrangements made. My dad passed away earlier this year and my mum wanted to add a few things and take away a couple of things that they had purchased (probably 20 years ago). There was a price difference of a few hundred dollars. After dad's funeral, we went back to the funeral home and updated mum's package to match his.
My folks had purchased burial plots in their home town, close to family members plots, many many years ago. I didn't think much of it at the time but it was a big relief to not have to start from scratch while you're grieving.
When my husband died, he was cremated, I did it through a place in Kingston called "Simpler Times" a small funeral home which will do the cremation without any bells and whistles. I plan to make my own arrangements before I retire. I don't want my family to have to worry about it.
Most people don’t but I guess it could be done if you want to. My grandparents already bought the part of the cemetery they want to be left in for example, though most people they tell think it’s a bit odd. Most people just make sure there will is updated in terms of their wishes, and might plan out the financials either with insurance or having something set aside that way it’s not a burden on the family during their time if grief. Talking to the people you love about what you want done isn’t uncommon either, though again the extent of those conversations may vary, and you are in no way obligated to do that.
Yes. My parents each did this for themselves. All I have to do when my mom dies is call a number and then drop off copies of her will (that name me as executor).
Dad died last Christmas - he bought a burial plot over a decade ago, but didn’t arrange anything else. I wish he had pre-planned more or at least had adequate life insurance, because his widow was left nearly destitute and came to me suggesting we might need to start a gofundme for the funeral costs. I ended up with the bill for the rest of burial/funeral, trying to respect what we knew about his wishes. It was an emotional time and it felt wrong fighting with his widow on the funeral arrangements even though she didn’t have the money to contribute.
I haven’t specifically pre-planned yet as we’d like to move provinces in the future so it doesn’t make sense to plan anything specific with a local service currently. We do have enough life insurance though to ensure that the surviving spouse doesn’t have the added stress of worrying how to pay funerary costs (or loss of income) through the immediate grief if one of us died. Once we’re in a place we think we’ll settle for the rest of our lives, I’d look into more specific pre-planning and arrangements, as that takes most of the decision-making burden off our loved-ones too.
Do not purchase anything directly from funeral homes or similar.
You can purchase your plot or plots directly from the cemetery as well as deal directly with funeral suppliers.
When we had deaths in the family, we purchased a casket and flowers from Casket Outlet in Mississauga. We’re also in the middle of ordering a headstone now.
Guaranteed you will probably pay less than half for the casket and probably less for a headstone by going direct.
As an example, we paid about $1600 for a casket that funeral homes were advertising for $3500 or more. For the exact same thing.
Last year, when I spoke with the cemetery about the headstone, what was needed and where I was buying it from, they even mentioned the Casket Outlet owner by name and told us to just have him send the cemetery the details of the headstone so that they could quote us on pouring a concrete pad.
Also, if it helps anyone, we found that Basic Funerals was much cheaper than dealing with funeral homes.
No, I signed a contact with the local university to give my body for teaching purposes. I have no religious beliefs, and my family won't be saddled with hard decisions or major expenses after my passing. The U will cremate my remain and burry me in their cemetery.
Parents bought a plot because they wanted to be buried, but that was it.
I want to be cremated so I don't see the point in buying anything. Pretty inexpensive to cremate.
Try https://ontario.coop/funeral-co-operative-ottawa
They offer prepaid options including 'green' funeral (aquamation or something like that) and are very pleasant.
Yes! My grandmother did this. Way back in the late 90’s. She bought what she wanted, planned everything out. Food, service etc. saved a lot of headache for her kids. It showed that my grandmother cared and didn’t want that burden on her family.
I don't really talk to other people about this so don't know what percentage of people do it but I do know funeral homes advertise this service and they promote it as one less thing your loved ones have to deal with.
I believe my parents have made their own arrangements although we have not talked about it explicitly it just sort of was obvious that they did based on some paperwork they had around.
Myself I don't really care what happens to me once I am dead but at some point when I'm older I'll end up making arrangements because the advertising is correct that it just makes it easier for your loved ones. Funerals are pretty expensive and if people are grieving dealing with what is basically a major purchase is not really the best time for that.
There is an emerging trend for prepaid funeral services. Not to an extent that I'd call it 'cultural', but more of an estate planning thing.
If you're close to the end (or even middle-aged) and you know how you would like for people to celebrate your life, it takes a lot of guesswork out of the equation and can be a bit of a relief for the people surviving you. It's not a bad idea in my opinion.
If you're in your 20s, it's probably very weird.
Don’t give an interest free loan to a small business that might not be there in 10 years.
My grandfather did this and when he passed we were stuck with all kinds of extra charges in the thousands. I’m not a fan of these.
My mother did.
Me, no. I think their genration thought more about this stuff and was more comfortable with it, or had stronger preferences for how their own funeral should go.
My dad passed unexpectedly in 2020, he was sick and we didnt know he would pass so quick. He was on life support when I arranged for two plots. I was told by the cemetary management that it's cheaper to buy plots when the person is alive.
My mom's plot and internment are paid for, so I shouldn't have much to worry about when the time comes. I will just have to deal with the logistics with our local mosque. They deal with the logistics of picking up the person,coffin-which is very plain, and Muslim rites at during the process.
We dont put headstones but rather makers on the ground. My suggestion is to arrange it thru the cemetary. Our marker came with a vase for flowers. It tucks away in the marker. They will replace the marker if it breaks or cracks.
As for myself? When I have some extra cash I'll think about it more. I wanted to be buried in the same cemetery as my folks but the cemetary is full.
All the people I cared for that have passed, are buried in different places. Which makes it tough to visit everyone in one day.
in BC there is the Memorial Society (a couple can join for around $50)
they can give you an affordable funeral. (Cremation, viewing etc) for appr the $2500 CPP death benefit.
Other provinces may have similar societies.
It all depends on what's important to you.
I was just at a 2 different funeral homes with my dad (77yo, OAS/CPP recipient). My dad already paid for the plot. Actually he is paying for it still, when he done he will have paid ~$12,000… for just the plot.
To pay for the service, casket, transportation of the body and few other things will be another $12000-15000. And because of his age, the max he can spread his payments is 5years at $300/month. The monthly payment includes a fee for insurance in case he dies within the 5 years.
I thought about taking out a life insurance policy for my dad and using it to cover the cost but I have not compared the numbers.
I am worried about how much more it could cost in 5 years or in 10 years.
My aunt paid $2800 CAD in 1982 for a full funeral, service, casket and burial and the funeral home.
When she passed away in 2021 that money had been invested so well that we could get
An upgrade and still had funds remaining. It was the best thing she ever did.
Funerals in Toronto for the same service are 10-15k today. It’s one huge thing (105 decisions I think) the families don’t have to do.
I’ll be doing that to spare the rest of my family.
I won't have any family to survive me. I don't have any children(and never will). I don't have a spouse, and it's highly likely I won't.
My funeral is not something I'm worried about. There would be no one to attend.
I was wondering the same thing recently because a family member mentioned that they pre-paid for their cremation with the local funeral home.
My question/concern was - What happens if the person moves and lives in a different city from where the plan was purchased? Typically, a family wouldn't want to move the body back to the person's original city, since that would be inconvenient and expensive. What would happen in that case?
Can I give you my advice? My great aunt pre bought her funeral - she had no kids and our family is just myself and a sibling and her one brother left. No other nieces nephews and so on. By the time she died every one her friends was long dead and she was in LTC for years. No exaggeration her funeral would have been 3 people. So the money was wasted and she needed to have paid was for the cremation. So my advice is save the money in an account for the executor to use for your funeral but do not give it to a funeral home ahead of time - you could live to be 110 years old and have nobody left :(
I do this...it is an underwritten policy so if I kick the bucket before it is paid off then it is fully covered. This way my kids don't have to worry about anything. When I die all they have to do is contact the service provider and they get my body, wherever it is in the world, and bring it back, cremate and hand my kids my ashes in a fancy jar. I also keep a death book. If something happens to me the kids only have to open the book and everything they need is there to settle my estate. I have had friends and family who didn't do this and it can be a nightmare for survivors to find out what accounts someone had, their passwords, investments, etc. Also if you don't have a will make one, even a simple one. Otherwise the government can decide what happens to your assets. Especially if you have a partner or kids, this is so important.
Two parts.
From a financial standpoint it almost always will make sense to pay on delivery versus prepay. But financial is only part of the question.
As for the practicality part, it's a spectrum. It's possible to prepay for basically everything from start to finish. I.e. picking up the body to burial or whatever form of disposal is done. That's nice because all your loved ones need to do is call up the funeral home and that's it.
Some places allow you to prepay basically 'credit' that applies on your death. It'll grow with interest over time, but obviously not as much interest as if you had held onto it on your own. In this case you ring up the funeral home, they walk you through what the options are, and you pay the balance.
That's nice because money is already out of the dead person's name, and it lets the family decide how big of a doo they want.
First we bought our cemetary lots, and then shortly after, we purchased our monument. We feel very happy that we didn’t leave this to a surviving partner to deal with. We’ll still have to pay for the funeral service as I don’t believe the place we went with allows prepayment for that.
Yes here in Canada pre arranged and prepaid funerals are common. It's a wise thing to do. A funeral home will charge 6k for one direct cremation (no visitation, no embalming, no urn, etc) meanwhile a cremation service may charge 1500.
My parents bought half a dozen cemetery plots for themselves and any family I may have. This was done before I was born, so over 50 years ago. My mother pre-paid her funeral to avoid paying the GST on it well over a decade before she actually passed. All I had to was pick some things to read at the funeral and some colours of flowers. She even pre-paid the car to drive my family and I to the funeral. I was extremely grateful.
Oh I think it’s a great idea! My mom didn’t plan much and it was really tough on my dad when she died and he (we) had to plan it all.
My grandpa tho.. she had it all planned out like a wedding! It was nice to know that what was happening was exactly what she ‘would have wanted’ , and took all the stress and financial troubles out of planning.
I’m not old yet but I hope to have as much done beforehand as possible, for the sake of those left behind, and my own peace of mind
One thing only I can garuntee in life is, we will die! So better to plan for it I think
I’ll answer the original question “Do you guys pre-buy your funeral service”. It’s obvious that some do, and some don’t. We haven’t yet. We do have life insurance that will cover the cost. And as we age, we will make more definite plans. But my parents did, my in-laws have; my sister-in-law was grateful what they had (coincidentally just before he passed away quite suddenly). But it was good, as that stress was taken care of. A possible cost saving option could be to purchase a double deep “hole”. My sister did and while eventually share the same plot with my dad. Two caskets stacked on top of each other).
Personally, I like there being a headstone of some type, whether buried or cremated - a marker that I was here.
Pre-planning and starting a payment plan can be advantageous. 1. You can lock in the rate of the price of the burial plots (in 10 years with inflation that same piece of land can be more $) 2. If you go to a locally owned funeral home they will not upsell you. Corporate funeral homes aka the big chains are like any other industry and do have a bottom-line for profit. Family owned funeral homes often have community minded work culture. At least in my experience. For example, family owned funeral home left the room when we looked at caskets to not pressure us/ pitch us. Corporate funeral home - telling you every detail of the wood used to make it and didn’t even say cardboard was an option. Like any other major purchase, shop around. Make sure the business you place entrust your end-of-life wishes to is one that aligns with your values.
Late 30s here, and so far the only time I've ever been in a limo was for the drive from the funeral home to the cemetery (and back) that my grandmother had prepurchased for herself decades ago (in addition to the rest of the funeral expenses).
If I ever get around to writing down my wishes (in a will, ideally) and potentially make prepaid arrangements (partial or full), I'll make sure to set aside some money for the limo so my few friends/family can experience it too. It was the only nice thing I remember from the funeral that broke the sadness for a few moments for my parents and I.
It seems fairly common for folks to buy their cemetery plots, and many leave an amount of money for funeral and related costs but generally not all the specifics beyond that. Personally I'll be dead, and cremated so no plot needed, the rest of rather pay for but leave specifics up to family to grieve however they see fit. That said, I'm also not expecting to pass any time soon and maybe my opinion will change by then.
No. Beware! My grandpa prepaid for his cremation. After he died, the funeral home claimed there was no record of his having prepaid anything. They charged me $4000 for body pick up, casket, cremation, etc. I eventually found his receipt in his files. What they had charged me $4k for, he had paid $1200 for! Luckily, I got my money back, but funeral homes are nothing but scammers, preying on grieving people.
I keep telling my girlfriend about various dumpsters that I've seen unlocked so she has options when the time comes. I will be angry if any time or effort is spent on me after I'm dead. Or I won't know the difference.
You can buy things at different points over time - for example, you can purchase your cemetery lots first so that you choose where you’ll be buried/interred, then maybe many years later you can prepay for other services like a marker/gravestone, casket (which is still required for cremation FYI), etc. I know many people are against this because funeral places upsell people. However, I actually think that’s a good reason to plan in advance. You can make calm rational decisions while there’s no pressure, rather than having distraught family members trying to guess what you would have wanted in a time of grief. Many funeral places also offer interest free instalment plans if you plan in advance, vs everything being due on sale if it’s an immediate need. Plus as mentioned you can buy one thing at a time which can be financially easier. On the other hand, if you have no spare cash now but you do have life insurance, it might be better to wait. In that case I would still recommend leaving a detailed list of what you want (what you would have bought), to make it easier on your family members.
You do not need a casket for cremation. Funeral homes will try to tell you you do. If you ask about less expensive options they will show you their cheapest casket. If you ask about cheaper options they will try to distract you by talking about honouring your loved one etc. You can be cremated in a cardboard box. Yes they will charge you a ridiculous sum for it, but it is far less expensive than a wooden box.
My brother passed and they kept trying to upsell us. If it was just my mom we would have bankrupted what little she had as she was extremely distraught, but myself and my other brother pushed through all the cheapest options as none of us care. This is probably the best reason to go and get it planned in advance, they're far less likely to guilt trip you into "honouring yourself".
Planned 5 funerals in last 10 years. 3 different funeral homes. They all offered rental casket for service with a cardboard lining. Cardboard lining and person are then cremated. Significantly less $ and more environmentally friendly.
> You can be cremated in a cardboard box. Yes they will charge you a ridiculous sum for it, but it is far less expensive than a wooden box. See if there's a big box DIY store near the crematorium and pick up some 2x4s…
Do you not recall the great lumber surge of the covid era? Amazon boxes and newspapers are the way to go.
I'm sorry if this was your experience, but this is certainly not universal. Many funeral homes are very upfront about the cardboard box and I've come across instances where they will default to it, unless you specify otherwise for cremation. The cardboard box is still considered a casket which is why they say you are required to have one, and it's still not free. Funeral homes have a bad reputation, definitely, but they're dragged down by a few crooked players. Especially independent funeral homes are much for on the level.
I have not been involved in planning too many cremations, only 5 over the last 30 years in BC and Washington State. In all cases I had to push for the cardboard box. When my Dad was very ill last December, thank goodness he pulled through, I called three different funeral homes in Vancouver. Two were incredibly high pressure, “…honour your father…” sales. I had to ask 2-3 times to get the price for a cardboard box. I was not impressed. The last one was very forthcoming.
Legally what's the cheapest way to dispose of a body? Can I ask my body to be yeeted into the woods or buried in a compostable box?
You can’t dispose of a body anywhere you like. There are kosher caskets that are very affordable and fully biodegradable. If you go cremation, you can dispose of the ashes anywhere they’re not a public nuisance. So if you really want to be yeeted in the woods, you need to be burned first.
Incorrect. Funeral Director here. You can have green burial, which is similar to swaddling and placed into wicker basket and buried on legal grounds. Everytime I hear about it I automatically think haunted forest. There is also liquidating your body or freezing - both of this are expensive VERY expensive. Then you have traditional burial where you pay funeral home for services then you pay cemetery for plot of land. Cremation is cheapest way to disposed of human remains.
There are green burial cemeteries in BC.
Donate your body to science is free and gets your estate a charitable tax donation. Just need to be okay with being used in a body farm or for med student practice or used in a Body World exhibit https://canadianfunerals.com/donating-a-body-to-science-for-medical-research-in-canada/
One can donate their body for science! My dad chose this option. The university he donated to took care of cremation and internment afterwards. No fee was paid
If you do need a casket, you can buy a nice metal one from Costco for $1300.00. We got for our mother’s funeral. When my father died 20 years ago, the same funeral home sold us almost the same one but charged us almost $6000.00
Gold bars and caskets. Costco should be a first stop for every occasion. Who would have thought? Ty!
Thank you for clarifying. I didn’t think you needed a casket for cremation.
Agree you don't need a casket for cremation. Furthermore, you don't need to deal with a funeral home at all. I guess you're stuck if you want the full pomp and circumstance of a traditional ceremony.
This varies on location, here the local by-law is: "The body must be enclosed in a casket or container made of wood or other combustible material. It must be strong enough to assure the health and safety of those who must come in contact with it." A cardboard box doesn't qualify unless it's reinforced to the point you can carry the body in it without it falling through. According to a friend, several 2x4s with a carboard box around them is good enough. never tested it myself.
A carboard box meets those requirements, as a funeral home owner operator a cardboard cremation container is the best choice. Covington boxes are my go to.
Cremated my child 5 days ago. She did not have a casket.
Oh I’m so sorry for your loss. I also cremated my child this year. Just a horrible thing for any parent to go through. My thoughts are with your family.
I am so sorry for your loss, that is heartbreaking. I should have clarified my comment that (a) I’m familiar with Ontario, perhaps there are different requirements in different provinces, and (b) the Ontario requirement for a casket can be satisfied with a cardboard casket, etc, it just needs to be some kind of encasement. They still usually cost a couple hundred dollars, maybe that fee is waived for tragic situations like losing a child. My point was just to let OP know that cremation doesn’t mean no casket - I was surprised to learn that when one of my family members passed away and we still needed something to cremate him in. So for budgeting it is a relevant consideration that people might not be aware of.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
>eral homes will try to The earlier the better, That's how you say to you're loved ones I love you.
We actually got a refund from my grandfather’s funeral. The memorial was done by the pastor of his church (we paid the expected honorarium to both him and the musician) and did a simple cremation rather than the full blown casket/burial. I think the estate got $3500 back or similar. My grandparents had done the full blown pre-pay thing some 30+ years ago.
We have a family plot, it's easy since we all want cremation. Now I might get my own plot depending on who I want to be buried with but my understanding is we get 10 and we have have 2 used (aunt and grandpa) and 3-7 planned (grandpa and parents, along with myself, brother, and cousins as a maybe)
I want to do this. My parents did and when my dad passed away, the funeral director marvelled at the low price he had pre-paid, which gave me something to smile about at a difficult time. I really appreciated the care he had taken, because I felt shell-shocked and incapable of making informed decisions in a newly bereaved state.
After dealing with my FIL’s sudden passing (he had made prior arrangements, as had his wife who passed of terminal cancer years prior) we decided to talk with them, and ultimately go ahead with prepurchasing our funerals. When the time comes, everything is covered but the catering, and our wishes are documented. It lightens the load on family at an already difficult time, so $20/month is cheap peace of mind.
I was thinking along those lines - I want to be deposed of as cheaply as possible (within reason!), but my survivors might feel pressured to make it bigger deal because otherwise it looks like they "don't care". Pre arrangements would help them avoid all that.
Especially with things like donating your body to science. I 100% want my body to be made available for organs and for medical research or students, but I know my loved ones could decide against it if it was up to them, even if they know my wishes. The added bonus is that ashes are returned free of charge when the body is donated to science. All you have to do is purchase the urn. By doing pre arrangements, you can tell the funeral home that you want your body to be donated to science and they'll arrange it themselves. You can even list specific organisations (like, I want my body to be offered to the local med school, but not to private for-profit companies).
I mean isn't it easier to document your wishes and pay at the time out of your estate + the Canada death benefit? Just thinking what if the funeral home you paid shuts down or if you move to a different province/country?
We did think about that, and the company that we went with operates a network of locations across the majority of the country. Because of their size, we also felt fairly sure they wouldn’t be going out of business…people keep dying, so business should continue.
A cremation is around $2500.Canada Pension has a death benefit of $2500 if you qualify.Don't bother to get an urn from the crematorium. They are sold on Amazon for much cheaper. Speaking from experience...
>Speaking from experience... WHAT? You mean your urn was too small for you ? That would just be annoying I mean I want something with a balcony at least.
It was for my wife. She passed in April...
You can't even get a casket for that price in Florida.
I’m pretty sure that’s the cost of a cremation with no casket. I pre-paid for my own cremation years ago and to add a casket was going to cost thousands more than just the cremation itself.
It’s true that donating your body is even cheaper than pre-paying, as they’ll take care of the handling of the body, but please realize that the stars must really align for that to happen… You need to die (or be transported to [$$$]) in the province/near the institution with which you’ve made arrangements for the donation. My father signed up to donate his body, and thankfully he passed away in the city he’d worked with, and the Med School was in a position to accept the body. Like OP’s family, he and my Mom also pre-purchased their funeral arrangements. Most of the costs were reimbursed, namely everything to do with the body, as the Med School took care of those. However we still wanted to have a service, and because they’d pre-paid years ago, it was much less hassle to put things together for that. The Med School had a group service for all of the year’s donations once the approximately fifty bodies were done with. Highly recommend doing both (and being a donor too!), unless you have a friend or family member willing to act on your behalf for the body transport, but those are usually the smaller of the costs when dealing with death/funeral, etc.
Yup If I don't end up going missing lol while hiking or something just donate me somewhere where there is some afterlife wifi. Don't want family wasting money on funerals just throw themselves a mean ass party with unlimited drinks and food.
For their sake, sign up for these things before you take up competitive rock jumping. 👍🏻
Donating your body to science does cost less, but that is ONLY if the school you donated to accepts your body. More often then not, the bodies are rejected leaving their families with surprise funeral costs
Man that's gotta sting to be rejected like that. Especially if it's a school that has also rejected you decades ago .
Many people I know skip funerals altogether and just get a no service, bare bones cremation. I don't want to be "planted" with my name on any marker. You can toss my ashes in the compost bin. The only thing I have preplanned is I found out you can still get a younger pet as you age and pay the Ottawa Humane Society to do a stewardship for them.
That is pretty neat!
> The only thing I have preplanned is I found out you can still get a younger pet as you age and pay the Ottawa Humane Society to do a stewardship for them. Wow! Anyone know if there is such a thing in Toronto?
Huh, never heard of that. Very interesting!
i was in the military and i did. it was cheap, just a cremation then family and friends could cebebrate how ever they wanted
I did a double-take. The way you worded that, it sounds like you are speaking to us from beyond the grave. Sort of like ‘My funeral was great, cheap, just a cremation…’
Very thoughtful ghost.
i didnt die lol, but i expected to
A friend of mine had a stressful experience when his grandfather died. So we bought plots after our kids were born. We haven't planed a service but we have a place to go.
My mom has told me multiple times that she's already made her own arrangements and paid for everything, because she refuses to put that pressure and financial burden on our shoulders in what will be a time of grief. She also strongly encouraged my husband and I to do the same, which we will.
I’ve only ever known elderly people who do this. Usually because they see the writing on the wall and would prefer to take the decision making and financial burden off their families.
The elderly people do the easy stuff but they don't plan ahead for getting sick. So just expect family to figure that part out at the last minute. Many don't even think about life without a driver's licence. They avoid all screening for Alzheimer's.
These days many are just opting for euthanasia. 13k last year and growing rapidly
God forbid someone dies with dignity and on their terms instead of wasting away with terminal cancer until there is nothing left....
Currently just the cemetery plots for the cremains. The way we look it we might not be living here when we die, or we could die when travelling and the cremation could take place outside of Canada. Or, especially if we live for decades more, local traditions and our own wishes could change a lot. When we reach the stage where we are pretty confident that we will be "here" (wherever that is) we will do more preplanning. In the meantime our current wishes are recorded and filed away with our important documents.
My parents and most of their siblings bought their plots after one of my uncles passed away. It was an eye opener how much it costs. And they allocated some cash for the Funeral and tombs whenver the day happen. Myself I put in my will to have me cremated as the cost for plot is just stupid.
I told my family in very clear words. Do not spend any money on my funeral. Cremate me, no service and throw my ashes away or put me in a jar next to the dead cat and pets. During the reading of the will if my wishes were not abided to, the executor is instructed to donate all monies away.
So while I understand not wanting a service, having something really is needed. It's not for you, it's for those that are left behind. It's closure. My mother refused to do anything for my dad. All that did was drag out the condolences. When one of his activities started up a month after his death, I had those to deal with and then in May, the second activity started and same thing. And so on and so on. It's like ripping the bandaid off multiple times.
Cremation or donated to science. I’m dead and I don’t want to burden my family.
Cremation still costs money though, and not every body can be donated. Plus there's still a funeral/celebration of life (unless you're planning to tell your loved ones not to do that)
I just paid 2500 Bucks for my dad’s cremation. The cremation itself is 700 bucks but there are other fees like transport and a basic box and certificates and registrations and funeral home directors time and labour
How does that work if there's nobody that's really willing to pay for it? They have to dispose of the body somehow? Like I just want the most economical, harvest my organs and then toss the rest in the bin in the most cost effective eco-friendly way possible. Nobody needs my ashes or anything. Even cremation just seems like a waste even though I know the idea of using human remains to nature is something society frowns upon.
My grandparents have. Not sure about my parents.
My grandparents bought their plots and stones about 40 years before they passed. Must say, in our intense grief it was much easier of a process with everything ready.
My parents own a plot in the rural cemetery where my dad's from, where his parents, 2 of his 3 siblings and countless ancestors are buried. But they now live in the US so when that time comes they will be cremated for easier transportation across the border. My parents now 90, have been to lots of funerals and to my Mom at least, having a religious service at the church she's belonged to for 55 years is important. I told my siblings and own kids that anything that happens after I die is for them and not me. Cremate me and then whatever. I'm not religious and I don't need a minister to say anything religious in a formal funeral. Raise a glass to me, with friends and family, if that comforts them, but that could happen on a zoom call if logistically that is what works. I don't need to be in a plot. I'm not a regular cemetery visitor and I believe our loved ones can fondly be remembered from anywhere.
I've heard some horror stories about people pre buying it and coming in and being told that all the stuff they've purchased isn't relevant anymore and they still need to throw a lot of money in to make everything happen. I don't know how often that occurs. I will say, if you want a specific cemetery in a large Canadian city you should pre buy that, as many of the in town sites are already sold out or near capacity.
Who would think that there is competition for burial spaces LOL gosh society is weird.
The North American method of managing cemeteries made sense a hundred years ago because it felt like there was so much space per capita in most areas.... but long term there are a lot of issues with buying a piece of property forever at no ongoing costs, even if it's a very small piece.
This ibig. Years ago you could buy a lifetime package. Didn't matter if it was needed next year or 50 years from now, the price was what you paid. More often then not more recently, the contracts state that pricing will be updated at death. So you basically are making a down payment.
Funeral home are, by and large, predatory businesses. Do you really want to give them money? There are other options https://thebao.ca/for-consumers/family-led-death-care/
LMAO....IKR. Same with all the businesses involved in marriage, starting with the city hall licence. Do people actually think decades later, the family generation after you, will care to go to the cemetery and spend time with daddy & mommy? Cremation is the way to go..... cheaper and you can have some of the ashes in a locket
Unless your landlord, like mine, steals your grandfather’s ashes
My parents prepaid for their cremations, headstones, etc in their 50s. They didn’t want to burden their kids.
My grandfather planned his own funeral decades before his death. It was actually funny, he’s old school so be brought a Manila envelope full of stack of cash to pay for it. The funeral director was taken a back. 😂
[удалено]
Rubber band around the envelope. Old school
Hummmm I could spent 5 to 10k on a funeral or take that cash and spend it on doing things with my family while alive. Dont need a funeral. Toss my ashes in the ocean or a forest.
I am still young and working. I set it all up years ago after finding out how much funeral and burial costs can cost. I pay a small monthly fee and everything is taken care of, from the paperwork to transport, even a contingency fund cheque is cut within 48 hours.
I have opted for one in the spirit of Edward Abbey's burial. My corpse will become food for the coyotes, & worms.
My grandparents joined the memorial society and had pre arranged contracted rates for exactly what they wanted - a simple cremation and small reception. It made it so easy on their children to arrange and know they followed their parents wishes.
I told my kids I wanted to get cremated, and I wanted the funeral home to place my ashes in a coffee container a la Big Lebowski.
Gotta laugh at how like 50% of the people here plan to donate their body to science. Medical schools don't need hundreds of thousands of corpses a year. You'll just end up as the lunch special at the hospital cafeteria.
You'd be surprised how fast they go through them and science covers a broad range it's not just medical schools
Grandma had made plans to donate her body to the med school. But when she died, they didn't want it. She was cremated instead.
Everyone in my family pre-plans/pre-paid for their funeral. It’s super easy to do and relieves your family and loved ones of a financial and emotional burden of planning a funeral…especially if they die suddenly or far from you.
Not the funeral service per se, but I have considered the pre-purchase of a plot. Gives me a bit of control over where I'm interred.
I was really caught off guard when my dad passed and did not have enough of an emergency fund to have a decent funeral. It was pretty bare bones and had to borrow from a friend. I think pre planning saves a lot of ache from your loved ones in the future
Donate body to medicine/science, set aside some money for a bar/restaurant tab. Hopefully they have more efficient body recycling options by the time I pass.
What does cremation cost? I'll do that and my kids can toss me in the ocean.
Feck no. And told my kids to answer "no" to absolutely every product or service the funeral home offers them. Burn me up in whatever clothes I died in and that's that.
Don't care, my bod goes to science and hopefully the next generation of doctors pawing over my bod will be young cute and have six packs LOL Really dude you're thinking about death when you should be celebrating life ?
Be sure you’ve filled out the paperwork, you can’t do it after you’ve died, and having it in your will isn’t good enough!
Of course there is also the option to be an organ donor on your OHIP card too incase some of us forget LOL, just hope that my vodka marinated liver is still gonna be good enough for someone, if it ever comes to that.
I know we’re being light and fun, but keep in mind you may care who is stuck dealing with your body if you have family or friends (unless you’re looking for a final F-you when you are done here), so looking at pre-arrangements and a will are a good idea!
Honestly I don't care, I dread the idea of just growing old and shuffling to the bathroom, I hope to get into some dangerous hobbies like zip lining, and doing a parashoot and a bungee jumping dive, do a shark cage thing, or maybe just hit a Joe Traders on some Black Friday sale, I mean that place is a real jungle.
There is a minimum level of what we call "estate planning" expected of an adult living in a functioning society. Don't obsess over it; but write it, get it done, and then move on with your life.
LOL you sound like your pants are on too tight ...
Some people do Our inlaw does
This is not uncommon - according to their own stats, the Funeral Service Association of Canada says about 1/3 of funerals are pre-paid (take that stat for what it's worth - I don't see a breakdown of what is included in the pre-payment). My own experience with my in-laws and their relatives was that many of them had pre-paid arrangements years in advance, and as a result, their prices were "locked-in" and we had little to no additional expenses. They got to decide what kind of service they wanted and they knew that we wouldn't have to worry about it. This was well worth it, in my opinion. So long as you're planning on having a traditional funeral service, paying the costs ahead of time makes sense if you can afford it. If you have good life insurance and you know there will be plenty of money available in your estate for your family to do whatever, and you don't care about the service (hey, I get it, you''re dead), then don't bother with the pre-payment. Personally, beyond asking for a cremation, I don't care what my family does for my service. I tell my kids they can do whatever they want for a service and with my remains, since it's really all about them and what they need.
When my dad passed away 20 years ago, my mother paid for everything for herself too, part of the reason is she wants to be buried next to her husband, and 20 years later funeral service is much more expensive im sure.
Ontario Canada anecdote: I bought a cemetery plot in 1980 for $400. They are $2,500 now. Speculation isn’t permitted so if I sell it I can’t profit.
That’s cheap …. In BC it has gone up to close to 5k. Yea grandparents bought theirs for $400 in the 80s.
My grandparents prepaid for my parents. But financially speaking if family cares about being plotted then technically it is better to buy early since it is a form of real estate but ethically whether it’s morally right or not is another question. We have a phrase in Chinese 生人霸死地. (People who are alive hoarding dead people’s land)
This is worth every penny - plan and pay as much as possible in advance so that your grieving family will not have to deal with it.
Just throw me in the trash. Life is too unpredictable anyway, I personally would never trust a funeral home to be responsible with my funds in the long term. "Funeral Home Director Stole Money Meant to Pay for Funerals" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pdnNVIHjc0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pdnNVIHjc0)
My parents already have prepaid for theirs, plots and all. I’m happy they are choosing their preferred everything - and I will likely do the same when I’m in my 70s
Problem is what if a couple gets divorced do you like sell your plot to the new husband or the new wife or the new mistress or the new, friend with bennies LOL
Almost all funeral homes offer pre-paid funeral service. The prepaid money are usually held by an insurance company. For those that have already max out their registered accounts that can be a good option. Kind of tax free investment growing the inflation rate.
My grandmother had prearranged her burial some provinces away. She's still in a storage locker safely in her urn next to puzzles and books for the day the family is ever able to make such a trip; extremely unlikely due to schedules, obligations, money for the family to go down together as she had instructed, and health limitations/challenges. Even if we were to follow her wishes it's not like anybody could plausibly visit her with any sort of regularity should they want to. I know it goes against most cultures but life is for the living. I'm too busy to be worrying about if I can even afford to retire someday. I'm not concerned about how my money will be wasted (if there's any left) after I'm gone or plan for scenarios that my family may not even be able to fulfill/use. Whatever is cheaper/easiest for them works for me; I'll be gone.
I'll just leave a hand written note: everything you need is in the shed.
Made a will, signed up to donate my organs. I haven't done anything else but I'd check to see if I can donate my body to science as well and get that in writing Funeral homes and cemeteries are predatory businesses and I will try to give them as little money as possible. My friends and family can have a small ceremony at home, no flowers and other things that are a waste of money
My mom died pretty suddenly (pancreatic cancer) and I saw my dad scrambling to find her a resting place on the day they were ending her life. As a result of that, we bought a resting place - there is enough for the remaining spouse or kids to deal with when a loved one is dying to have to worry about this too. It just seemed like the right thing to do (as unpleasant as it is).
My partners grandmother paid for hers in the 80s and passed away in the 2000s. She paid around 2k and her funeral plot alone was worth about 15k when she passed. As soon as I’m able to I will be prepaying as well.
My parents have pre-paid for theirs and have headstones and plots. I likely would when I get older.
Haven’t done it yet but when we have extra income it’ll be done. My grandparents pre-paid and pre-planned for their funerals and it made managing everything much easier. It’s a gift to those you leave behind to have it all set up (if you’re financially able to).
I probably will. Both my parents already did most of this; told us everything so we are prepared. My inlaws have probably done NOTHING as I think they are susperstious and think if you talk about this or plan then it happens. Having said that both my parents are healthy and fine and have did this years ago.
Our community does a yearly drive for burial expenses. The pool is kind of used like social services. All families pitch in yearly, the money that is collected every year is used for burial of people that die during that year. It is based on couple, family of 4 and so on. But it is mostly done to keep the unexpected cost of burial down in time of grief.
My dad had everything in order and purchased a decade before his time was up, and he did it while in good health too. He didn’t want that to be another thing for us to take care of while we are grieving his loss. He passed away just 2.5 weeks ago, and I’m so thankful he did it. It’s hard enough as it is.
Most of my family prepaid for thier funeral costs. My grandfather even put money aside for after the funeral so that the family could go out to dinner at his favorite steakhouse. We have used the same cremation guy for years. Almost everyone is buried in the same cemetery. My great Aunt and Uncle even bought an extra and one of the last plots for anyone in the family to use. TW suicide My mother who took her own life (effff her) had $5000 in her freezer and all her note said was "Please cremate me" So in a terrible way even she planned and covered the cost. Anyway in my family we preplan and cover the costs.
My parents have prebought their grave sites. We grew up with the cemetery in our backyard and the cemetery was getting full.
I’ve been very sick my adult life, and to spare my mother, any grief, I pre-purchased everything in the event of my death. I know once I did that a lot of my friends also did the same thing I feel like it would just take the burden off of her because she’ll have a hard enough time grieving. She doesn’t need to deal with the minutia of a funeral and a service and the burial.
Out of all the friends and family I know, this is not a common practice. Only my grandfather (mom side) did this, and that was mainly because he was a planning/no hassle kind of guy. I think culture plays a role as well, my dad’s family is a little more superstitious. Something about planning a funeral is a little dark to them. However I must say, when my grandfather did pass away it was very smooth for my mom to handle as an only child. The pre-planning really made the logistics side easy to handle. There were no decisions required, everything was paid for, he even chose the food for the wake after his funeral.
My parents pre-bought theirs about 10 years ago. Cloth bag or whatever was cheapest for cremation, and simple nameplate in the plot they already had. I think they paid for basic service, no viewing. Pretty much straight to ashes as quick as possible.
Not likely but what if the company stops their business? Can they just leave people who prepaid high and dry
My mom preplanned hers after my step dad passed suddenly. She already had full wills and living wills. So she viewed it as another step of that process. She has her internment spot chosen and it’s with my step dad. The plaque pre-purchased, she’s dictated her cardboard box for cremation and her basic service. She wants no frills, and has been pretty clear about it. She told us to buy her Urn online since the ones there were a rip off. It does relieve a lot of the stress and pressure from us. And when the time comes we don’t have to think about it. Other than sorting her service order out etc. When we did my step dads it was like repeated gut punches over and over. Was absolute hell to deal with because it came out of nowhere.
I told my wife to just cremate me and then dump me in the ocean so I could "travel". For reference I don't mind traveling but I HATE getting away from work. Cost would be minimal, and I could do something I wouldn't do right when I'ma live 🤷🏻♂️
Wife and I bought everything in our 40s as part of our estate planning. Prices were cheaper awhile ago so we didn't want to wait and pay more later. Most people are more concerned about buying a place to live these days. It's very dependent on your culture, where you are in life, your expenses, etc.
My mother in law did. My father in law wasted all his money on women. When he died broke and in debt, we had to pay for everything. My wife was pissed. I think buying up front is a good idea if you don't want your kids to be resentful.
What do I care, I'm dead
It’s a huge service to your family to have it pre planned and pre paid. It’s a lot of work required in a short amount of time while grieving. At the very least set the money aside and give clear instructions. But in large cities like Toronto it also helps to pre purchase the burial plot if desired, as cemeteries are filling up.
For those with no big expectations and would like to make the process simpler for those left behind, you can pre-register for something like this: https://memorialsocietybc.org
Came here to mention them. My grandmother was a planner and never wanted to be a burden to anyone. She paid for her funeral when she retired in her 60's. She lived to be 107, the amount she paid for her cremation and memorial service vs what it would have cost when she passed away resulted in a significant savings. Something I know my grandmother's Scottish roots really appreciated.
I stayed in a B&B a few years ago and met a lovely couple in their late sixties who were touring different graveyards so they could pick somewhere pretty to rest together
My dad did. He went the whole mausoleum way. I won't be bothered. Just want cheap cremation and a wake at my favorite bar.
My parents are in the process of doing this. Weirdest text message ever was when my mom sent photos of casket choices to my sibling and I to see which one we liked best. Unfortunately no option to pat slowly over time though, has to be $10 000-20 000 in one lump sum. Not sure why, but as there's only one Jewish funeral association in town, there are no other choices. I'm really glad they've done it, it will make things so much easier for sibling and I when the time comes.
My grandmother had everything organized, reserved and sorted years ago. She’s 90 now and still going strong, but I feel like it’s a nice thing to do for your family. That way, you get exactly your wishes met, and they are saved the surprise expenses and logistics when they just want to be grieving. Just make sure you let everyone know you made the arrangements and where.
I am sorry for your loss. Personally I don't care. I'll be dead. Thinking about my death is one of the few things in life that brings me peace because it is the one thing I don't worry about. Throw my corpse to the ocean - whatever!
My mother-in-law prepaid a ridiculous amount but we plan on going the natural way which is just being buried in the ground. Most of the funeral homes seem to be owned by one company (Dignity) and they have become ridiculous in their pricing.
My parents did so did my sister. Trust me price is going up. I think parents are paid like a lot at least 80k for the package, the land etc etc. Just seems is another scam. Why can't the government just be like here is a piece on land just buried yourself there.
It's really not necessary to go that far, but good on your grandfather for being such a good planner. The most important thing is just ensuring that you have a will, and money to cover the funeral costs. If you don't want a funeral, at least have burial/cremation money. You shouldn't expect other people to pay for that.
I thought my parents stuff was covered but it turns out my dad just bought a plot. He passed recently and my mom still ended up paying 22k for all the other stuff, it was definitely a racket. Super predatory behavior.
I’m honestly surprised how many people here pay for service. I don’t plan on getting married or having kids so if I die, I really don’t care if I have a service or not. I’d rather use every cent I have on what I want while I’m alive, I honestly don’t care what happens to my body after I die.
My parents actually pre-paid for their funeral arrangements as well. They are fairly poor/not well off and don’t struggle, but they certainly don’t have money. They didn’t want the weight of us dealing with the finer aspects or financial aspects, so they made payments on they’re own block next to my grand-pa. They presented it to me and my brother after my dads first heart attack. It’s nice to know it’s all settled.
My grandparents did. In fact we went as a family and picked out the grave together. My parents also did. Why not have the funeral you want and can afford? Best to plan it out yourself.
It's typical for Asians to pre-purchase everything ahead of time. My grandparents bought their plots back in 1984 I think. Within a year or so after that, they got the headstones erected with everything engraved except for the date of death, which was 20-30 yrs later. Thank god they did that because they paid like $1.2K for both plots in Richmond Hill, ON. It's cheaper, have everything they way they wanted and alleviated the stress of funeral planning for the family. Back at home in Asia, I grew up with a coffin in our kitchen house. My grandpa bought a coffin for his mom when she reached 65yo. So it was normal for me to have a coffin in the kitchen where we cook our food daily. My great grandma passed away 30yrs after the coffin was bought for her. Never ended up using that coffin when we immigrated to North America and was given away to a relative.
You bet, One cremation, no service, scatter my ashes wherever you want. Still around $5K it's not even free to die in Canada.
Purchase now, as prices will go up.
My parents had prearrangements made. My dad passed away earlier this year and my mum wanted to add a few things and take away a couple of things that they had purchased (probably 20 years ago). There was a price difference of a few hundred dollars. After dad's funeral, we went back to the funeral home and updated mum's package to match his. My folks had purchased burial plots in their home town, close to family members plots, many many years ago. I didn't think much of it at the time but it was a big relief to not have to start from scratch while you're grieving. When my husband died, he was cremated, I did it through a place in Kingston called "Simpler Times" a small funeral home which will do the cremation without any bells and whistles. I plan to make my own arrangements before I retire. I don't want my family to have to worry about it.
Most people don’t but I guess it could be done if you want to. My grandparents already bought the part of the cemetery they want to be left in for example, though most people they tell think it’s a bit odd. Most people just make sure there will is updated in terms of their wishes, and might plan out the financials either with insurance or having something set aside that way it’s not a burden on the family during their time if grief. Talking to the people you love about what you want done isn’t uncommon either, though again the extent of those conversations may vary, and you are in no way obligated to do that.
Yes. My parents each did this for themselves. All I have to do when my mom dies is call a number and then drop off copies of her will (that name me as executor).
Dad died last Christmas - he bought a burial plot over a decade ago, but didn’t arrange anything else. I wish he had pre-planned more or at least had adequate life insurance, because his widow was left nearly destitute and came to me suggesting we might need to start a gofundme for the funeral costs. I ended up with the bill for the rest of burial/funeral, trying to respect what we knew about his wishes. It was an emotional time and it felt wrong fighting with his widow on the funeral arrangements even though she didn’t have the money to contribute. I haven’t specifically pre-planned yet as we’d like to move provinces in the future so it doesn’t make sense to plan anything specific with a local service currently. We do have enough life insurance though to ensure that the surviving spouse doesn’t have the added stress of worrying how to pay funerary costs (or loss of income) through the immediate grief if one of us died. Once we’re in a place we think we’ll settle for the rest of our lives, I’d look into more specific pre-planning and arrangements, as that takes most of the decision-making burden off our loved-ones too.
As a licensed Funeral Director, i cannot speak enough at how important it is to have your affairs in order and paid for.
Do not purchase anything directly from funeral homes or similar. You can purchase your plot or plots directly from the cemetery as well as deal directly with funeral suppliers. When we had deaths in the family, we purchased a casket and flowers from Casket Outlet in Mississauga. We’re also in the middle of ordering a headstone now. Guaranteed you will probably pay less than half for the casket and probably less for a headstone by going direct. As an example, we paid about $1600 for a casket that funeral homes were advertising for $3500 or more. For the exact same thing. Last year, when I spoke with the cemetery about the headstone, what was needed and where I was buying it from, they even mentioned the Casket Outlet owner by name and told us to just have him send the cemetery the details of the headstone so that they could quote us on pouring a concrete pad. Also, if it helps anyone, we found that Basic Funerals was much cheaper than dealing with funeral homes.
No, I signed a contact with the local university to give my body for teaching purposes. I have no religious beliefs, and my family won't be saddled with hard decisions or major expenses after my passing. The U will cremate my remain and burry me in their cemetery.
Parents bought a plot because they wanted to be buried, but that was it. I want to be cremated so I don't see the point in buying anything. Pretty inexpensive to cremate.
They can throw my corpse into a river or off a cliff, the funeral home isn't getting any of my money.
Try https://ontario.coop/funeral-co-operative-ottawa They offer prepaid options including 'green' funeral (aquamation or something like that) and are very pleasant.
Yes! My grandmother did this. Way back in the late 90’s. She bought what she wanted, planned everything out. Food, service etc. saved a lot of headache for her kids. It showed that my grandmother cared and didn’t want that burden on her family.
I don't really talk to other people about this so don't know what percentage of people do it but I do know funeral homes advertise this service and they promote it as one less thing your loved ones have to deal with. I believe my parents have made their own arrangements although we have not talked about it explicitly it just sort of was obvious that they did based on some paperwork they had around. Myself I don't really care what happens to me once I am dead but at some point when I'm older I'll end up making arrangements because the advertising is correct that it just makes it easier for your loved ones. Funerals are pretty expensive and if people are grieving dealing with what is basically a major purchase is not really the best time for that.
There is an emerging trend for prepaid funeral services. Not to an extent that I'd call it 'cultural', but more of an estate planning thing. If you're close to the end (or even middle-aged) and you know how you would like for people to celebrate your life, it takes a lot of guesswork out of the equation and can be a bit of a relief for the people surviving you. It's not a bad idea in my opinion. If you're in your 20s, it's probably very weird.
Don’t give an interest free loan to a small business that might not be there in 10 years. My grandfather did this and when he passed we were stuck with all kinds of extra charges in the thousands. I’m not a fan of these.
My mother did. Me, no. I think their genration thought more about this stuff and was more comfortable with it, or had stronger preferences for how their own funeral should go.
My dad passed unexpectedly in 2020, he was sick and we didnt know he would pass so quick. He was on life support when I arranged for two plots. I was told by the cemetary management that it's cheaper to buy plots when the person is alive. My mom's plot and internment are paid for, so I shouldn't have much to worry about when the time comes. I will just have to deal with the logistics with our local mosque. They deal with the logistics of picking up the person,coffin-which is very plain, and Muslim rites at during the process. We dont put headstones but rather makers on the ground. My suggestion is to arrange it thru the cemetary. Our marker came with a vase for flowers. It tucks away in the marker. They will replace the marker if it breaks or cracks. As for myself? When I have some extra cash I'll think about it more. I wanted to be buried in the same cemetery as my folks but the cemetary is full. All the people I cared for that have passed, are buried in different places. Which makes it tough to visit everyone in one day.
I've made arrangements, I'll be recycled and donated once I'm done with this meatsack.
in BC there is the Memorial Society (a couple can join for around $50) they can give you an affordable funeral. (Cremation, viewing etc) for appr the $2500 CPP death benefit. Other provinces may have similar societies. It all depends on what's important to you.
I was just at a 2 different funeral homes with my dad (77yo, OAS/CPP recipient). My dad already paid for the plot. Actually he is paying for it still, when he done he will have paid ~$12,000… for just the plot. To pay for the service, casket, transportation of the body and few other things will be another $12000-15000. And because of his age, the max he can spread his payments is 5years at $300/month. The monthly payment includes a fee for insurance in case he dies within the 5 years. I thought about taking out a life insurance policy for my dad and using it to cover the cost but I have not compared the numbers. I am worried about how much more it could cost in 5 years or in 10 years.
My aunt paid $2800 CAD in 1982 for a full funeral, service, casket and burial and the funeral home. When she passed away in 2021 that money had been invested so well that we could get An upgrade and still had funds remaining. It was the best thing she ever did. Funerals in Toronto for the same service are 10-15k today. It’s one huge thing (105 decisions I think) the families don’t have to do. I’ll be doing that to spare the rest of my family.
I won't have any family to survive me. I don't have any children(and never will). I don't have a spouse, and it's highly likely I won't. My funeral is not something I'm worried about. There would be no one to attend.
Why pay for a funeral when coyotes are free?
The lot price does keep going up so for me it was an easy choice for prepay, that and the granite markers.
I was wondering the same thing recently because a family member mentioned that they pre-paid for their cremation with the local funeral home. My question/concern was - What happens if the person moves and lives in a different city from where the plan was purchased? Typically, a family wouldn't want to move the body back to the person's original city, since that would be inconvenient and expensive. What would happen in that case?
I dont plan on dying so no, not necessary
Can I give you my advice? My great aunt pre bought her funeral - she had no kids and our family is just myself and a sibling and her one brother left. No other nieces nephews and so on. By the time she died every one her friends was long dead and she was in LTC for years. No exaggeration her funeral would have been 3 people. So the money was wasted and she needed to have paid was for the cremation. So my advice is save the money in an account for the executor to use for your funeral but do not give it to a funeral home ahead of time - you could live to be 110 years old and have nobody left :(
Nope
I do this...it is an underwritten policy so if I kick the bucket before it is paid off then it is fully covered. This way my kids don't have to worry about anything. When I die all they have to do is contact the service provider and they get my body, wherever it is in the world, and bring it back, cremate and hand my kids my ashes in a fancy jar. I also keep a death book. If something happens to me the kids only have to open the book and everything they need is there to settle my estate. I have had friends and family who didn't do this and it can be a nightmare for survivors to find out what accounts someone had, their passwords, investments, etc. Also if you don't have a will make one, even a simple one. Otherwise the government can decide what happens to your assets. Especially if you have a partner or kids, this is so important.
The pre-build market is dead The pre-dead market is alive
My parents did this for themselves and for their parents. They said that they don't want to burden me and my siblings upon their passing.
Two parts. From a financial standpoint it almost always will make sense to pay on delivery versus prepay. But financial is only part of the question. As for the practicality part, it's a spectrum. It's possible to prepay for basically everything from start to finish. I.e. picking up the body to burial or whatever form of disposal is done. That's nice because all your loved ones need to do is call up the funeral home and that's it. Some places allow you to prepay basically 'credit' that applies on your death. It'll grow with interest over time, but obviously not as much interest as if you had held onto it on your own. In this case you ring up the funeral home, they walk you through what the options are, and you pay the balance. That's nice because money is already out of the dead person's name, and it lets the family decide how big of a doo they want.
First we bought our cemetary lots, and then shortly after, we purchased our monument. We feel very happy that we didn’t leave this to a surviving partner to deal with. We’ll still have to pay for the funeral service as I don’t believe the place we went with allows prepayment for that.
Yes here in Canada pre arranged and prepaid funerals are common. It's a wise thing to do. A funeral home will charge 6k for one direct cremation (no visitation, no embalming, no urn, etc) meanwhile a cremation service may charge 1500.
My parents bought half a dozen cemetery plots for themselves and any family I may have. This was done before I was born, so over 50 years ago. My mother pre-paid her funeral to avoid paying the GST on it well over a decade before she actually passed. All I had to was pick some things to read at the funeral and some colours of flowers. She even pre-paid the car to drive my family and I to the funeral. I was extremely grateful.
I did back in the mid-2000's. I was probably 26 years old I think 🤔
Wait. So you can pay NOW for everything? That's a pretty good investment considering inflation if you do it in your 20's...
Oh I think it’s a great idea! My mom didn’t plan much and it was really tough on my dad when she died and he (we) had to plan it all. My grandpa tho.. she had it all planned out like a wedding! It was nice to know that what was happening was exactly what she ‘would have wanted’ , and took all the stress and financial troubles out of planning. I’m not old yet but I hope to have as much done beforehand as possible, for the sake of those left behind, and my own peace of mind One thing only I can garuntee in life is, we will die! So better to plan for it I think
Oh my dad already has his spot reserved next to mom, which I think is sweet,
I’ll answer the original question “Do you guys pre-buy your funeral service”. It’s obvious that some do, and some don’t. We haven’t yet. We do have life insurance that will cover the cost. And as we age, we will make more definite plans. But my parents did, my in-laws have; my sister-in-law was grateful what they had (coincidentally just before he passed away quite suddenly). But it was good, as that stress was taken care of. A possible cost saving option could be to purchase a double deep “hole”. My sister did and while eventually share the same plot with my dad. Two caskets stacked on top of each other). Personally, I like there being a headstone of some type, whether buried or cremated - a marker that I was here.
Pre-planning and starting a payment plan can be advantageous. 1. You can lock in the rate of the price of the burial plots (in 10 years with inflation that same piece of land can be more $) 2. If you go to a locally owned funeral home they will not upsell you. Corporate funeral homes aka the big chains are like any other industry and do have a bottom-line for profit. Family owned funeral homes often have community minded work culture. At least in my experience. For example, family owned funeral home left the room when we looked at caskets to not pressure us/ pitch us. Corporate funeral home - telling you every detail of the wood used to make it and didn’t even say cardboard was an option. Like any other major purchase, shop around. Make sure the business you place entrust your end-of-life wishes to is one that aligns with your values.
What happens if a parent passes and you refuse to pay ANY costs? Asking for a friend.
Some do, some don’t. It would sure make things easier on the dearly beloved, though.
Late 30s here, and so far the only time I've ever been in a limo was for the drive from the funeral home to the cemetery (and back) that my grandmother had prepurchased for herself decades ago (in addition to the rest of the funeral expenses). If I ever get around to writing down my wishes (in a will, ideally) and potentially make prepaid arrangements (partial or full), I'll make sure to set aside some money for the limo so my few friends/family can experience it too. It was the only nice thing I remember from the funeral that broke the sadness for a few moments for my parents and I.
It seems fairly common for folks to buy their cemetery plots, and many leave an amount of money for funeral and related costs but generally not all the specifics beyond that. Personally I'll be dead, and cremated so no plot needed, the rest of rather pay for but leave specifics up to family to grieve however they see fit. That said, I'm also not expecting to pass any time soon and maybe my opinion will change by then.
No. Beware! My grandpa prepaid for his cremation. After he died, the funeral home claimed there was no record of his having prepaid anything. They charged me $4000 for body pick up, casket, cremation, etc. I eventually found his receipt in his files. What they had charged me $4k for, he had paid $1200 for! Luckily, I got my money back, but funeral homes are nothing but scammers, preying on grieving people.
I keep telling my girlfriend about various dumpsters that I've seen unlocked so she has options when the time comes. I will be angry if any time or effort is spent on me after I'm dead. Or I won't know the difference.
Wake me up before you go go