Don’t spend $20k on a funeral

We often hear the question – How much does a funeral cost? 

Well the answer does depend on whether you’re determined to have a burial or cremation – that can have a significant bearing on the total funeral cost. 

Purchasing a block of land in Melbourne for a family home is becoming extremely expensive, so is buying a block of land for one’s final resting place. So burials are therefore a more expensive option. The choice of cremation eliminates that real estate cost. 

Having said that, one of our biggest bugbears as a funeral director, is the lack of transparency in pricing.

• I have no doubt that high-priced funeral directors are taking a financial advantage of people’s grief. People are being ripped off. 
• Choice magazine awarded the Shonky Business Award 2020, to White Lady Funerals, part of the Invocare/Lupine group. For heaven’s sake!!
• The big corporate funeral directors are charging between $14,000 to $18,000 to complete services that we offer at Kingston Funerals for between $7000 and $8,000. 
• If you’re finding it difficult to nail down a prise after searching a funeral website, my advice is to leave it well alone. 

With such a great disparity in price you should be aware that at the other end, there are ‘backyarders’ that offer great prices, but no service. They share mortuaries, hearses and staff. Quite often, they operate out of a briefcase and have been known to keep bodies in their garages with no refrigeration! 

So what are the main takeaways from this article? 

• One, funerals can be expensive. 
• Two, do your research. 
• Three, feel comfortable with your funeral director. 
• Four, dearest isn’t always best.