It’s never easy to arrange a funeral or cremation services. However, it can help to plan these types of services ahead of time so you can make an informed decision that’s not under pressure. When you plan ahead of time, you can make an educated decision based on cost, types of services, and other areas that are important to you.
To help with this tough decision, here is the breakdown of the cost of cremation compared to burial in Michigan, as this is one of the biggest concerns people deal with when deciding on arrangements.
Cremation is cheaper than burial
According to NBC News, “The average cost of a funeral today is about $6,500, including the typical $2,000-or-more cost of a casket. Add a burial vault, and the average jumps to around $7,700. A cremation, by contrast, typically costs a third of those amounts, or less.”
Because of this high price tag, it’s important to shop around and compare all of your options as well as receive prices upfront. There shouldn’t be any surprises, and every option is up to you, meaning not every “required” service is actually required. Certain services are common, but that doesn’t mean they’re mandatory.
The NFDA claims that the national median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial for calendar year 2016 was $7,360. If a vault is included, something typically required by a cemetery, the median cost becomes $8,508. The cost does not take into account cemetery, monument or marker costs, or miscellaneous cash-advance charges, such as for flowers or an obituary. The NFDA also states that the national median cost of a funeral with viewing and cremation in 2017 was $6,260.
Costs in Michigan
According to Detroit Free Press, “There is no Michigan-specific price survey available. But funeral directors say the total savings for consumers in cremations versus burials can be roughly $2,500 to $3,000.”
Detroit Free Press also points out that “the median price for an adult funeral with viewing, burial and burial vault was $8,755 in 2017” (via the National Funeral Directors Association).
While the Federal Trade Commission requires funeral homes to make prices available to customers with an itemized list, not everyone abides and the internet can have different regulations (or none relating to this matter).
Prices range based on a number of different factors, and many families struggle with these costs. There are, unfortunately, companies that take advantage of people in distress who need to purchase cremation or burial services. That’s why it’s important to do your research and check multiple places to see how much cremation or burial services will cost in your case, especially since prices can change based on location and from one funeral home to the next.
It’s also important to note that some people have to take out a personal loan, which you can get from a credit union in Hudsonville, MI, as an example, or an online lender. This is the only option for some people, but as long as the rates and interests are reasonable, it could be a valid option.
Bad companies try to sucker others into buying services and added “bells and whistles” that they do not need for proper cremation or burial services.
While prices change from funeral home to funeral home, in most cases, cremation services are cheaper than burial services in Michigan. A cremation can cost a third of the amount of burials, so it may be the better option for those looking for affordability.
