How Do You Prepare for Your Own Funeral?

Preparation is everything—this is true for most things in life. While we cannot fully prepare for every single heartache or loss, every accident or unpleasant event, every disaster or emotional upheaval—for every single experience, for every death—even that of our own—we can take steps to ensure that when the time comes, we’re financially prepared and that our families are spared the further stress and emotional burden of having to hunt up funds just to pay for our medical and funeral bills.


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So if you’ve got a mind to ease the burden and grief your family is going to suffer through—in the event that they lose you—here are a few of the things you need to remember:

Make a Plan

The very first thing you need to consider doing when you want to prepare for your funeral is to make a plan. Death doesn’t wait for anyone. You could be hale and hearty today but who knows what’s going to happen tomorrow? If you get into an accident and find yourself at death’s door, you won’t have the time you need to prepare anymore. So make sure you’ve settled your affairs and have everything in order before that time comes. The best time to plan is always ahead of time.

Search for the Right Funeral Package

Look over available funeral packages in the market. Do you already have an insurance plan? If you don’t, now’s the time to get one. Search until you find the one that gets you covered in all the areas that you need to be covered for—medical costs, funeral bills. Don’t go for the plan that offers you the lowest premium. Pick a plan for the benefits you’ll get and not for making you spend less than the others. It’s also prudent to get this plan for a dying loved one.

Look for websites regarding funeral packages or the different types of insurance you need. Get one for you and your loved ones, especially those that come with death benefits. You may also use comparison sites such as MoneyHero to help you hit on the insurance plan that’s ideal for your needs and pockets.

Save for Future Funeral Costs

If you can save money for your wants, then you can definitely allocate a portion of your finances for your future funeral expenses. Don’t let your family deal with those costs alone. Be responsible for yourself. That means setting aside money to fund your own funeral. If that idea appeals to you, here are a few tips you’d definitely find useful:

• Set up a payable-on-death (POD) account. Name the account after the person who’s most likely going to be the executor of your will, the one who’s going to handle all your arrangements. The good thing about this account is that the money goes directly to the beneficiary at the time of death. Unlike other accounts, the bereaved no longer has to wait out a probationary period.
• You can also use your Social Security to pay a one-time lump sum for your funeral costs.
• For veterans, help and assistance from Veterans Administration is readily available. They only have to ask.
• If you already have a private/ funeral insurance plan, you may review its terms and look for death and burial benefits.
• You may also ask help from trade unions or church, especially if you’re a member.

Create Your Will
Writing your last will and testament is the ultimate way you could make your wishes known. This is a list of documented instructions you could prepare in advance, one you leave behind to your family when you pass away. This document gives the executor of your will a solid idea—in many cases, specific instructions—on what to do and how to manage your financial affairs. Ask for the assistance of an attorney to help you render those instructions in legalese. Then, when the will is done, keep a record of it and put everything in a safe place where only the members of your family have access to it.

Mention the details of your last will and testament to your family, particularly if you have specific instructions regarding funeral details and arrangements. This will help them prepare emotionally for the thought of your death and cope with through the loss, when the time comes.

Finalising the details

Consider the following too:

For Burial – You need to purchase a casket, a lot to bury your remains in, along with a grave liner or vault, and grave marker.

For Cremation – You need to buy an urn. You also need to consider where your ashes will be placed. Will it be scattered in a spot that has special meaning for you and your family, be kept at home, or in a mausoleum in the cemetery? Consult a funeral director to know about legal restrictions. They can also help you and your family decide on the best possible place for your remains.

For Entombment – The casket may be placed in a mausoleum or tomb. In case you haven’t finish finalising your funeral plans, your family or relatives may choose to have your remains entombed above ground.

The tips mentioned above will prove helpful to you as you prepare and make arrangements for your funeral. By finding the right funeral plan or insurance, you can worry less and live more, knowing that when the time comes, you did everything you could to prepare for it and that your family won’t have to worry about anything else other than their grief.