"The only things certain are death and taxes."

The difference being, you EXPECT to get ripped-off on taxes!

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• Per a recent study, the average funeral with burial costs around $10,000.
• Funerals can be the third-largest expense most older families will face [after homes & automobiles].
• Most people will spend more time and care buying a used car costing half as much as a funeral.
• No one goes into a car dealer and says, "Give me whatever you think I ought to have, just make it nice.", yet this is exactly what many, perhaps most, families do at the funeral home.
• Just knowing what to ask, what to say, and who to call can save your family 50% or more on funeral services, burial plots, or monuments, and as much as 75% on the cost of a casket.

Here is an opportunity to learn things you'd probably as soon not know, butshould, things virtually none of your friends and family know, but things we'll all have to deal with eventually. Don't be surprised if your opinions shift from what you may have thought of funerals to this point, if indeed you've thought of them at all.

The main reason funerals cost so much is, we have no idea what to ask for or what it will cost. Say, for instance, your loved one has elected cremation, which is a very reasonably-priced option as a rule. The funeral director, or one of his minions, asks, "Would you like a brief viewing of the deceased, perhaps just for the family?" Sounds reasonable, right? In electing a formal 'viewing', you may have just signed on for some 'extras', such as:

• Embalming (not usually done for cremation, but may be a 'house rule' for viewings. Add another $350-$700
• Cosmetology and hairdressing services -- an additional $120-$300
• A more expensive 'viewable casket' --- add $500-$2,000
• 'Services of Staff for Viewing' --- add $200-$700
• Use of chapel (0r transport of remains to a church) -- add $250-$500
• Dressing and miscellaneous services -- add another $100-$450

So, a simple nudge by someone in the know can pile on the charges before you know it. And you can't blame the funeral director for providing something YOU asked for, now can you? It is our aim to educate consumers so we'll stop being victims when our time comes. To start your journey toward becoming Death-smart use the directory below. Your family and friends will be grateful you did.

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Home Page ~ About FHP ~ First Step ~ Funeral Homes ~ Casket Smarts
Cemetery Shopping ~ Monuments ~ Funeral Brokers, etc ~ Suggested Links ~ Scams & Ripoffs ~ Order Book ~ E-mail us your questions/comments

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