What a funeral really costs, line by line
Costs · 6 min read
The items on a general price list, which are optional, and where families overspend.
The non-declinable fee
Every funeral home charges a basic services fee. Everything else on the list is legally optional and you may decline it.
Where the money goes
Casket or urn, transportation, preparation, facility use, and cemetery or crematory charges. Third-party cash advances such as flowers and obituary notices are billed separately.
Where families overspend
Caskets bought under time pressure, sealing features that change nothing, and packages bundled so the optional items are hard to see. Ask for the itemized list.
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