Prepare for Unexpected Expenses While Planning a Funeral in Westchester, IL

If you’ve never planned a funeral or memorial service before, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed by all of the factors and details that you have to consider. In addition to coordinating the funeral or memorial service, notifying family and friends and submitting an obituary, you must also manage the costs that end-of-life planning incurs. While you may be anticipating most of the expenses associated with planning a funeral in Westchester, IL, there are probably many expenses that you have not even considered and some services that might cost far more than you thought. By becoming familiarized with some of these unexpected expenses, you can be much better equipped to handle the planning process:

• Obituaries: Many people don’t realize the cost associated with having an obituary published. For years, obituaries were a complimentary service offered by newspapers, but these days you will usually have to pay for anything longer than a very brief announcement of a death. Most publications charge per word for an obituary, and the total cost can be upwards of $400 when it’s all said and done.
• Grave vaults: Depending on the location of the burial, you may be required to purchase a grave vault. Vaults prevent the grave from sinking over time, and they can cost anywhere from several hundred to a few thousand dollars.
• Flowers: Usually, when you are planning a funeral service with a funeral home, the estimated price will not include the addition of flower arrangements. The size and quantity of the arrangements that are generally included in a funeral service, in addition to the fact that the arrangements have to be ordered and made on relatively short notice, means that they tend to be a little more costly than usual. You can expect to pay anywhere between $250 and $1,000.
• Caskets: If you choose a plain casket made out of pine or a similar material, you can often find something priced at around $500, but more ornate options made from more expensive wood options like mahogany can be over $10,000. Additionally, there are certain extra options and add-ons that can increase the total price even more.
• Grave plots: Even if the person who has passed away already purchased a grave plot or the family owns several spots, there is the additional cost of digging out the grave that must be taken into consideration. This cost will vary depending on where the cemetery is located and even what day of the week it is, but it can be between $300 and $500 in many cases.

Don’t get blindsided by unexpected funeral expenses—work with a professional funeral home that you can trust to work out all of the important details. At Marik-Baken Funeral Services Ltd., we provide memorial and funeral services that are designed to honor the life of individual who has passed and minimize the stress of planning for their loved ones. If you need assistance with planning a funeral in Westchester, IL, please don’t hesitate to give our experienced team a call.

Categorised in: Funeral Service

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