It’s easy for funeral costs to spiral out of control when you’re arranging a service for a loved one.
In fact, the southeast of England is the second most expensive region of the UK in which to have a funeral (£4,825), only behind London (£5,358).
Often people can feel under pressure to ensure everything is perfect for the day and then end up spending more than is necessary or more than they have available.
In fact, according to a survey by SunLife, 87% of UK funeral directors said people tend to overspend on certain things – especially flowers (£206) and catering (£406).
It may seem disrespectful to cut back on your loved one’s final farewell, but it’s also important to be realistic about what your family can afford, especially at this time of high inflation.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways for the good people of Essex to help keep costs down…
Budget funerals options
Traditional funerals are expensive as they include all the ceremonial elements such as a procession with hearse and limousines.
They also require more organisation from a funeral director, who charges fees for each of the services they provide.
The average cost of a basic funeral in the UK is now £4,056, but it’s possible to spend less than half of this if you choose a budget funeral.
Budget funeral options include:
- Direct cremation
This is the most budget-friendly option, but it won’t be suitable for everyone.
Direct cremation is when there’s no funeral service or ceremony before a cremation. The cremation takes place as soon as possible at a time and date decided by the crematorium, and family don’t attend.
The ashes are returned to you to keep or scatter wherever you wish. Only the basic services need to be paid for which makes this option so affordable.
Direct cremations are becoming increasingly popular in the UK. In 2018 they made up just 2% of all funerals, and by 2021 this had increased to 24%.
Some of the cheapest funeral plan packages available include;
- Simplicity Cremations – Offer direct cremation and simple cremation only funeral packages (prices from £995)
- Express Cremations – Offer direct cremation only (prices from £995)
- Low Cost Funerals (Memoria) – Offer direct cremation, eco-burial and simple funeral packages for cremation or burial (prices from £950)
- Co-op Funeralcare – Offer direct cremation, direct burial, eco-burial and simple funeral packages for cremation or burial (prices from £1,313)
- Farewill Funerals – Offer direct cremation, and simple cremation only funeral packages (prices from £1,200)
- Eco-burial
This is the environmentally friendly alternative to a traditional funeral, which is becoming increasingly popular.
An eco-burial can be arranged on a budget. For example, you can choose a simple shroud or coffin, the service can be held at the graveside, and you won’t need to pay for embalming.
A burial plot still needs to be purchased, but the simplicity of an eco-burial means that you can save money on other aspects of the funeral.
- Do it Yourself funeral
You don’t have to use a funeral director by law. If you really need to keep costs down and you have plenty of support, then funeral arrangements can be made entirely (or partly) by yourself.
Responsibilities may include; obtaining and filling in the necessary legal paperwork, booking the cremation or burial, paying the necessary fees, caring for the deceased at home, buying the coffin, arranging suitable transport, and leading the ceremony.
This option would not be for everyone, especially if you are grieving and think the process would be too upsetting.
- Simple funeral
Most funeral directors can provide a ‘simple’ or ‘basic‘ funeral option for a cremation or burial.
Simple funeral packages include all the essential services required for a funeral but tend to offer less flexibility, for example, times and dates may be restricted and there may not be a procession to the funeral venue.
However, unlike a direct cremation, a simple funeral allows you to say goodbye to your loved one at a traditional funeral service.
Funeral planning on a budget: Top 10 tips
Whichever funeral options you choose there are ways to keep costs down when arranging a traditional funeral, whether it be religious or non-religious.
You can pick and choose which elements you want scaled back to help you meet your budget.
We worked with leading life insurance broker Reassured Ltd to compile the top 10 tips for planning a funeral on a tight budget in 2022:
1. Shop around
Shop around and compare multiple quotes from different funeral directors. You’ll get a much better idea of what services are available and how much these should cost.
Also, by comparing prices you’ll be able to find a local funeral director that offers the best deal for the specific services you require.
Be open about your budget with your chosen funeral director; check their pricing before making any final decisions and ensure there aren’t any hidden fees.
You don’t want to end up paying for additional extras that you didn’t ask for.
2. Use social media
Instead of paying for a newspaper notice, you could instead invite family and friends to the upcoming funeral using social media.
According to the 2021 study, using social media for funeral invites was one of the biggest changes in funeral trends that year.
3. Choose an off-peak time
Funeral directors, crematoria and cemeteries tend to charge less for early morning week-day slots.
You may find the cheaper funeral options will have restricted times and dates for the funeral, but this could be ideal if you’re flexible.
4. Do you need limousines?
Funeral packages that include limousines or executive cars are obviously much more expensive.
It’s much more affordable to hire a minibus or multi-seat taxi which could transport multiple guests to the ceremony. Or guests could simply travel to the service using their own cars.
5. Cut back on costly flowers
People who’d arranged a funeral in 2020 admitted that they’d spent too much on the flowers, and funeral directors say that this is the main element people overspend on.
When you think about how long the funeral service is (between 30 – 45 minutes) this may be the only time the flowers are seen by loved ones.
Compare prices from local florists to find a floral tribute perfect for your loved one and that’s within your budget.
6. Don’t have pallbearers
Having pallbearers to carry the coffin will add to the cost of the funeral.
To save money, you could ask a few family members and/or friends to do the honour instead.
7. Choose a simple coffin
You can make significant savings just by choosing a simple coffin for your loved one.
A cardboard coffin is the cheapest and can either be provided through a funeral director or ordered directly online from as little as £80.
Most people prefer the traditional coffin type which can cost from £350 upwards.
A funeral director can help you choose a coffin that’s at the right price point for you.
8. Hold a wake at home
Many people spend extra on venue hire and catering for the wake following the cremation or burial.
However, if you’re on a budget, you could simply hold a wake at someone’s house free of charge.
You could ask everyone to bring a dish or just provide a simple buffet for guests, there’s no need to go overboard.
9. Have a cremation
A basic cremation funeral costs on average £3,885 in the UK, whereas a basic burial funeral costs on average £5,033; a substantial difference!
A burial is more expensive due to additional burial fees (cost of digging a grave, lease of a burial plot and so on).
Also, headstone memorials aren’t cheap and they may require special maintenance over the years.
If your religion permits it and you don’t have any family traditions to abide by, then cremation is a budget-friendly option.
10. Get help with funeral costs
Why not check if you’re entitled to help from the UK government?
There’s a Funeral Expenses Payment (or Funeral Support Payment in Scotland) available to those on certain benefits.
This payment can be up to £1,000 and can help cover essential funeral costs, such as burial or cremation fees.
We hope this article has given you some useful information on how best to save money when planning a funeral.
