Funerals tend to be an expensive affair. The average funeral costs around $7,000, which includes funeral home costs, the price of the coffin, and funeral service staff fees. There are also funeral programs, tributes, and administrative requirements such as the death certificate to consider.

If you are planning the funeral of a loved one, there are several ways to personalize the service on a budget.

Choose a Theme

The best way to honor a loved one who has passed away is to have a funeral service in a location dear to their hearts. This place may be their garden or a beach nearby. It could be a restaurant that was special to them or the church where they were married.

You could also choose a theme for the location. It could be something as simple as the person’s favorite color or a nod to their career or hobby. This theme could also be a recreation of a precious memory from the life of a deceased loved one.

You can do all this at a fraction of the cost of a traditional funeral service.

Don’t Hire a Caterer

Funeral caterers are notoriously costly. Instead of hiring a caterer, you could rope in a couple of family members and friends to cook. You could create an entire menu around your loved one’s favorite meals and use the food to honor them one last time.

Many people also choose to have a potluck meal at a funeral, which means everyone has an opportunity to contribute to a special memory.

Use Social Media to Send Out Invitations

Gone are the days of printed invitations. With nearly everyone on social media, it is far more affordable to send out invitations on social media platforms or online chat apps like Facebook or WhatsApp. Doing this also makes it easier to send out reminders of the funeral’s date and time and to ask people to help with food and gifts.

Make DIY Memorial Gifts

Memorial gifts are a beautiful way to remember the deceased. You can make DIY gifts that include memories of the person, including small watercolor paintings, home videos, keyrings, and memory jars.

When you’re saying goodbye to a beloved family member, you can incorporate the DIY idea at home too. Make a memorial wind chime for the garden, a photo pendant, or a pillowcase made from the person’s favorite clothing item. You can even make a stitched blanket using material that contains printed photographs of the person.

Consider a Green Burial

There are more than 150 green cemeteries in the US where you can have a green burial. Green burial costs are far less than those of a traditional burial because there is no need for embalming fluid and a burial vault. You can choose between a woven or cardboard casket, all of which are biodegradable. You can even eschew the casket altogether and use a burial shroud made of natural material that biodegrades quickly.

Consider Cremation

Cremation is also a far more affordable option than a conventional funeral. When you have the cremation service at the crematory itself, it is cheaper than going through a funeral home. Cremation costs vary according to state and may fluctuate depending on your preferences, such as an open casket viewing or post-cremation burial.

Choosing a simple cremation service will take some of the difficult decisions out of your hands and gives you more time to grieve for your loved one.

The Bottom Line

When a loved one passes away, you shouldn’t have to worry about how to pay for the funeral. For more information and advice on personalizing a funeral on a budget, contact Wyuka Cemetery at (402)-474-3600.