One of the most egregious things that happens to grieving families is the cost of a funeral. The average funeral home in Melbourne charges thousands of dollars for burials, memorial services, legal assistance, and more. For mourning families who may have just dealt with medical bills or lost a breadwinner, this is often too much.

When you include services, staffing fees, transportation, headstones, and more, the cost of a funeral can go through the roof.

However, it is possible to have a beautiful, respectful funeral service while on a budget. Here are a few tips, and do not be afraid to ask public funeral home companies for advice.

Choose What to Do with Your Loved One’s Body

Perhaps your loved one expressed their wishes or your religion dictates the method of disposition you must choose. However, if you have some leeway in deciding what to do with your loved one’s body, you can consider your budget.

Traditional burials are the most expensive method of handling someone’s body. That is because you have to buy additional services and items, such as embalming, a casket, a burial plot, and more. You can save money by researching your options well, turning to public funeral home companies, or by choosing a different method of disposition.

Cremation is more affordable than traditional burials. While it is still possible to have an elaborate, expensive ceremony, you can also opt for direct cremation. A direct cremation is when the body is cremated shortly after death and only costs a few hundred dollars.

The most affordable option for disposition is donating the body of your loved one to science. Their legacy can help medical researchers develop lifesaving treatments for others. As a sign of gratitude, many research institutions will cover all funeral costs and even return your loved one’s ashes to you.

Host the Ceremony Yourself

Hosting a memorial in a funeral home often costs a lot and can also lead to a stiff, impersonal ceremony. While you can still rely on a funeral home in Melbourne for burial or cremation, you can choose to organise the service yourself.

Celebrate the life of your loved one in a location that actually meant something to them, such as a park or home, rather than a funeral parlour. This will also give you more freedom when arranging the ceremony and let you add more touches that would honour the life of the one you lost.

Use the Internet to Help You

The Internet has found a way to make many things easier, and planning funerals is no different. You can save money on a few different funeral-related expenses that way. For example, instead of publishing obituaries in a dying print newspaper or printing out physical programs people will lose immediately, publish an online obituary and make a memorial website that can stay online forever.

You can also go online to research funeral-related products that might be more affordable through the Internet than they are at a funeral home. Some websites sell caskets, urns, and wreaths at a fraction of the price most funeral homes offer them. Even if you don’t wind up buying online, you can use the better offer to politely ask your funeral home director for a discount.

You can also use the Internet to research the different options you have. Different public funeral home companies may have different prices for the same services or offer more flexibility when it comes to picking out a package for your family.

Ask for Help

Many people want to help bereaved families, but don’t know what to do. Ask your friends and family to pitch in, many will be thrilled to offer their support. Instead of hiring a catering company, ask family members to help you prepare food for the memorial or to host. Many families even create a memorial fund that loved ones can donate to.

After dealing with the grief of losing a loved one, you should not have to face a mountain of bills as well. Funerals can be very expensive, but you can lower the overall cost by choosing a different method of disposition or opting for a nontraditional memorial. Remember to explore different resources, such as the Internet and your community, to help you.