How Much Do Cremations Cost Nowadays, and How To Save?

Cremation costs can be expensive due to different factors, like the place of direct cremation and the funeral home you choose for cremation. The average price can take up more than thousands of dollars, but there is a range of cremation services that come under a few hundred. This article aims to help you plan a basic cremation package for your loved one, which will help you start saving money. Let’s look at the average cremation cost to understand better what we have on our hands.

Cremation Cost and Its Factors

According to the BBC, there has been a considerable spike in funeral service national median cost in the last eight years, and the average cost of cremation has remained the same after 2022. The median cost of cremation for an adult, with viewing and cremation services by funeral homes included, can reach up to $7,000, compared to the national median cost of $4,800 just several years ago in 2016. You will see why funeral ceremony and the average cost is high by looking at these factors:

Cremation Type: Depending on the funeral home and the cost of a cremation casket, the cremation costs will be heavily impacted because a memorial service is expensive, while a direct cremation cost ranges only from $800 to $3000.

Location: Ranging from $700 to $7000, choosing a cremation package and a funeral home can leave you with higher funeral costs in urban areas rather than rural areas owing to the different average costs.

Cremation Provider: The Cremation package fee can depend on the cremation service provider or funeral home, which can have the particular cost of cremation relating to a reputable funeral home and its amenities, like cremation casket, ranging up to $1,500.

Cremation Container & Cremation Casket: A cremation casket can have a range price of $800-$1800, while a cremation container costs $250-$3000, impacting the average cremation cost. A basic container or rental casket from a funeral home could be a more budget-friendly option.

Memorial Service: If you choose a service and funeral home, the average cost of a cremation package can include services such as catering, rentals, basic containers, and other materials and hike the cremation rate to $ 5,000 - $7000.

Death Certificates: Usually, the typical cost of a death certificate can be $30, and obtaining a copy of this certification from the government or via the funeral home is vital to accessing the necessary assets of the deceased individual. 

Additional Fees: Services like transportation, embalming, rental casket, cremation casket, grocery shopping, funeral home amenities, and memorial assistance can spike up the average cost of a cremation fee from $800 to $2000.

How to Save Money for Cremation?

Looking for a low median cost of cremation to send a loved one away is quite a wise decision in today’s world. An extravagant viewing or funeral service to celebrate life would be excellent, but thoughtful ways to start saving money is by opting for a funeral home or an actual cremation that is budget-friendly. Here are a few of the things you can keep in mind when you are choosing cremation services, as well as save money.

Research & Investigate

Even though cremation costs can be expensive, you can opt for it because it is an alternative method with the same service to save money compared to traditional burial. However, you should still do your research to compare your location-based cremation cost and the funeral home amenities you plan on introducing. You must consider all factors before you make your decision.

Opt for Direct Cremation

Direct cremation cost, through a funeral home, the cheapest way to host a funeral, has gained traction in Americans who prefer simple and affordable median cost of a cremation. Direct cremation options have a median cost of a few hundred dollars, depending on the funeral homes and your spending habits.

In direct cremation, there is no viewing or funeral service for the deceased or visitation. There is a list of direct cremation services you can choose from various funeral homes, according to the National Funeral Directors Association, that can help make arrangements for substantial savings during this difficult time.

Seek Around to Compare Cremation Cost

If you test and compare the prices for different funeral homes and cremation rates, you can plan the adult funeral better. Comparing traditional funeral homes via the National Funeral Directors Association is most important because you can seek transparent and effective services. Average funeral costs must cover utilities like permits, documents, direct cremation containers, cremation casket, and other essentials. It is furthermore important to be informed of the coroner fee, electric bill, energy-efficient appliances, direct deposit, rental casket, etc.

Examine Possible Memorial Services

If you pick a funeral home or catholic church to host a memorial service, the energy costs can be pretty hefty. Instead, You can examine the cost of a cremation alternative that offers the same service and is equally celebratory that you can easily arrange without a director, such as treks, picnics, tree planting events, potlucks, and dinner parties.

Online Purchase of Cremation Urns

Extensive collections of cremation containers are available online according to average cost, customer reviews, etc. This can also help save money when storing cremated remains, as discounts are offered, unlike real-life funeral home services.

Consider Going Green

You need not have a funeral home ceremony; however, a direct cremation container or basic urn for green cemeteries allows you to reduce the overall cremation cost. While you can opt for eco-friendly substitutes such as these, you also have the option of no-cost cremation by donating to non-profit organizations for scientific research. You can pick a charity that suits your goals, contributing to the advancement of medicine instead of a funeral home.

Why Start Savings Account For Cremation

If you want to establish a savings account to prepare for the average cremation costs, it will involve savings goals, selecting the right institute for a bank account, and putting up a monthly budget for savings. There is a Payable on Death (PoD) account that you can start saving in, where the cost of cremation can be deposited monthly so that the average price for a funeral home does not burden the family.

This bank account alleviates peace of mind and gives the families access to the emergency fund needed for funeral home arrangements. The saving of cremation rate can benefit both you and your loved ones on the occasion of sudden death, so you can start saving money with monthly payments to a checking account like a PoD.

Direct Cremation Costs

For an adult funeral service, the direct cremation cost depends on place, cremation service, transport, energy costs, and paperwork. For low-cost cremation, direct cremation prevents people from spending so much money on funeral services due to its median cost, which is $750 to $1500.

It is a funeral home method of instant gratification due to its straightforward approach with the benefits of providing ways to save money in different aspects. To understand the estimated funeral ceremony costs in your state, you can contact a different reputable funeral director or pick from a list by the National Funeral Directors Association. 

The direct cremation approach allows the funeral home to cremate immediately while the cremated remains are handed back to the family. The actual cremation service does not require your traditional casket. The use of easy-to-burn direct cremation caskets acts as one of the ways to save money in a funeral home. A basic urn will give you a more budget-friendly average price; however, if two people are married, related, or died together, you can store them in companion urns. 

Choosing direct cremation services, family and friends tend to scatter their loved one’s ashes in a place with great sentimental value, for example, a lake that can hold a memorial service, They can also store the basic cremation container in a funeral home or use the extra cash to transform them into beads such as the ritual of South Koreans with an average cost of $1,200.

Benefits of Direct Cremation 

An average direct cremation fee allows several advantages that interest the individual and their family. Unlike a traditional funeral director, which involves a viewing ceremony, embalming services, cremation caskets, and so on, this basic cremation service allows the individual to save money by eliminating association with a funeral home and these utilities. A low-cost cremation like this serves as a more responsible cremation package owing to the simple & prompt process. 

Reducing any complex services or rituals, the median cost of funeral arrangements and direct cremation packages can be marked by a money-saving and basic cremation service to integrate with time pact schedules smoothly and provide flexibility when celebrating the life of a deceased at a later date. Direct cremation costs grant the ones left behind the monetary ability to commemorate the memory of their loved one at a convenient time.

If more people chose a direct cremation, it would significantly reduce the average funeral costs owing to the freedom it gives families to hold ceremonies in memory of the deceased whenever the time is convenient and money is available. With no subscription service, the prompt cremation package can be further reduced using a cremation-based biodegradable urn due to its natural composition.

Death Certificates

These are essential documents required for several activities post a person's passing away, for instance, when settling estate matters, claiming insurance, etc. For multiple death certificates, an additional charge is applied for every copy. On average, it can cost between $5 and $25 for each certificate based on your state.

You should be aware that while the original copy might be provided at no extra charge by the crematory or funeral home, it’s the copies that incur an additional cost. Therefore, if a death certificate is a requisite in your state, keep in mind the potential expenses associated with obtaining extra copies when you're planning.