Monuments

Something one should keep in mind is that, except for the monument, everything spent on a funeral goes into the ground, into a drawer, or up in smoke. That may sound cold-blooded, but it's true. A common refrain we heard from families who went through the funeral process in years past was that, if they had it to do over again, they'd spend more on the monument and less on the casket. This is something which bears consideration.

Monuments come in three grades of stone which are rated according to their density and referred to as Light, Medium, and Dark with Dark being the most-dense. If you hear something referred to as 'Monument-Grade' granite consider it in the same light as you would Lumber-grade wood; you might well be dealing with the lowest grade (softest) and be disappointed later when the stone stains from weather and pollution or turns powdery. Ask! The fact that you KNOW there's three grades of granite will help avoid this common ploy. [Note: On the international level, Monumental Grade is considered the BEST grade of stone, just not necessarily here in the U.S.]

Granite and marble come in a variety of colors and can be engraved to suit. A rule of thumb is, the lighter the color of the stone, the deeper it must be cut to provide contrast. With a top-grade, dense stone this should insure hundreds of years of clarity. With the fancy-colored and darker stones, the engraving is much shallower and more apt to wear away. Granite, by the way, is more dense than marble and less prone to erosion and discoloration due to turning 'chalky'.

Money-Saving Tips

Granite comes primarily from a couple of sources; Georgia Granite [from Georgia and Tennessee] and Barre Granite [from Barre, Vermont]. What's the difference? In the quality of the stone, virtually nothing. In price, however, one could cost you about TWICE AS MUCH as the other. Knowing which stone to specify could save some bucks, or get you twice as much monument for your money.

Bronze Markers/Plaques

Bronze, flush-mounted markers are becoming popular with cemeteries since they allow easy grounds maintenance (you can mow right over them). Another plus is that they are less of a target for vandals, and yes, it does happen. In the book and program we go into how you could be covered in the event of vanadalism, as well as several scams cemetery associations use to drive the price of these markers into the thousands of dollars. Know what you are buying, and how much of it The bronze markers furnished by the VA, by the way, are acceptable in all cemeteries and represent a true bargain.

The Affordable Funeral gives you even more information on buying a monument, including trade names to avoid and how to pick a reputable dealer. If you know what to look for, you can make a pretty good determination just driving past the samples yard! It also covers common scams and ploys used in the monument industry including the 'Phantom Price' scam which is becoming commonplace.

To ORDER The Affordable Funeral; Going in Style, Not in Debt

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