It's one thing to do funeral pre-arrangements for yourself, it's another to encourage loved ones to do the same. Some people fail to see that funeral expenses incurred with their passing don't affect them, but rather their offspring and other family survivors, and this can make things detrimental if funeral arrangement plans aren't discussed in advance.
You can tactfully and more easily have this discussion with loves ones if you know how to approach this concept right. Here are some tips to consider when talking about funeral pre-arrangements with loved ones.
Ask What Their Funeral Preferences Are
Odds are, your loved ones have an idea of what they want to happen for their funeral. Whether they just have a preference of burial over cremation or they have more ornate and detailed funeral plans, your loved one may be shocked to know their wishes might not be carried out unless they do funeral pre-arrangements prior to their passing. This might be the perfect conversation starter to get your loved one to look into funeral pre-arrangements or at least get them to buy a casket or pay for an urn in advance so they don't lose control of their funeral desires.
Show Them What the Costs Are Now
What makes a pre-arranged funeral plan great is this: what's paid for today is what the funeral will cost when the time comes to execute it, so it doesn't matter if your loved ones don't pass for decades, they're locked into today's rates. Since much of their estate might be put towards funeral expenses otherwise — leaving little for you and other surviving loved ones as a result — your loved ones might be more encouraged to make funeral pre-arrangements if they know they can cover these costs now and keep their own funeral from dipping into their survivors' pockets.
A funeral director can help drive this concept home by showing your loved ones the cost of a funeral today versus several years from now, and can also show them comparable costs of a casket or urn burial. This discussion can be discreet and held with just your loved ones, or can include other family members as they see fit.
When it comes to funeral pre-arrangements, you have to consider this not just for yourself, but for those you love as well. When your family members know they are cared for, they can feel more confident in their end-of-life expenses as well as know they are having their wishes fulfilled.
