How to Save on a Funeral
Note: We are not a Funeral Home. We are not Funeral Directors. We do not perform Funeral Services. Our goal is to help our customers make an intelligent Funeral Home selection.

(1) Get at least 3 funeral home price lists, but the easiest way to compare Funeral Home prices is to FORGET THE PACKAGES!

*Packages are impossible to compare from one Funeral Home to another.
*The packages rarely contain a group of identical items.
*The price list with the packages will also contain a list of the individual goods and services the Funeral Home has to offer.
*Use the individual price list like a menu.
*Select the basic services that would be the minimum necessary for a funeral service with out including a casket.
*This figure is what you want to compare.

(2) We have noticed the average Non-Declinable Service Fee in the tri-state area has risen to about $1700. Be advised that a few Funeral Homes have raised their prices pn on service items in order to lower casket prices. It appears the most popular items for the increases are the “non declinable” fee for the Funeral Director and Staff and the embalming cost because these line items can't be declined. Check this out:

The average of how things should be: $ 1700 Non-Declinable service charge $ 600 Embalming $ 150 Other Preparation of body (Cosmetology, Hair, etc.) $ 300 Visitation/Viewing $ 325 Funeral Service at Funeral Home $ 125 Transfer of remains $ 150 Hearse $ 100 Service car/van $ 50 Acknowledgement cards $ 3500 Sub-Total $ 3500 Casket 18 Ga. Steel, Sealer $ 7000 TOTAL

A Funeral Home dropping their casket price but increasing service fees for same total: $2645 Non-Declinable service charge $ 695 Embalming $ 250 Other Preparation of body (Cosmetology, Hair, etc.) $ 400 Visitation/Viewing $ 525 Funeral Service at Funeral Home $ 200 Transfer of remains $ 200 Hearse $ 100 Service car/van $ 50 Acknowledgement cards $ 5065 Sub-Total $ 1935 Casket 18 Ga. Steel, Sealer $7000 TOTAL (No Saviings - Same Price)

So here is what you do:

Shop around! Do not allow the funeral director to pick up your loved one until you have an itemized price. Once they have your loved one in their home, it will cost close to $2K to have them transferred to another facility! Let the funeral home know that you will be checking with 3 other funeral homes because you just don't have that much money to spend. Watch the prices drop! Because some funeral homes have 2 price lists, this will encourage them to give you their "competitive" price list. If their service fee is not in the range of $1700, tell them you will go to another funeral home. They do not want to lose your business so you will probably see them go down on price. Do not mention you may get the casket elsewhere until the very end. After negotiating a better price, cross off their casket and tell them you have one that will be delivered tomorrow and then you can save another $1000.

If they do not give you an itemized list report them to the Federal Trade Commission at 877-382-4357. See their web site for more details on the Funeral Rule (click here).