3 Ways to Save on Funerals

Sometimes cheaper is just cheaper.

Shareable written version of what I just talked about:
"Funeral home director: Comparing prices isn’t disrespectful — and it can save you thousands"

Thank you Patron deathlings, who make this all possible!

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Mortician: Caitlin Doughty

[idad]

In Sweden we all pay an anual funeral tax, that covers the basic expenses of death. That means, even people who die without a family or without anyone to care for them, has a right to be buried in dignity. I'm really happy with that.

[heykerryann]

Fun fact: my father (a retired funeral director) told me he wants a 3 week wake. I said wtf, you hate wakes! He replied, “I’ve had to go to so many wakes, everyone HAS to come to mine”.

[poetmaggie]

An expensive funeral doesn’t impress the one who died.

[alisonanthony]

Before my husband passed away, he made me drive him around to the local funeral homes so he could speak to them all and choose which one he wanted me to use. He gave me a strict budget and told me that, under no circumstances was I to spend more than he wanted. It was the most thoughtful thing he could do because grief brain is a real thing and I'd have been a lamb to the slaughter if I'd had to deal with everything after his death - and it's not a short term effect, two and a half years later, I'm still fighting my way out of it.

[samueldawn]

I just worked a 16 hour shift. But when death mother calls, I must listen

[whatsername]

Last year my grandma passed in her sleep. My grandpa and mom splurged on her funeral, just because my grandpa was grieving sooo bad. He didnt want to think about it, just "here's my money. Please take care of her."
Then when my grandpa took his life a few months later, my sister and I had to help our mom with that. After watching your videos, I told my mom that funeral homes spike up prices because we are grieving and they know we'll pay for it. And after seeing the price tag for my grandmas services, my mom could see that. While, we didnt really "shop" around funeral homes, my grandpa specifically said that he wanted that funeral home, we did look at all the packages and declined on all the extras like flowers. My sister and I went to a flower shop and ordered a beautiful arrangement of flowers for the memorial service, when our mom saw it she asked how much we paid and it was nearly a forth of what she paid for my grandmas flower arrangement and that was half the size!
Your videos help me. Some topics are a little too hard for me because the grieving is still very real. But they've helped. Thank you

[maevetaylorreilly]

Every time Caitlyn says “brought you by death enthusiasts/viewers just like you, ” I always expect her to follow it up by saying “thank you” like from PBS.

[TwinCitiesFancy]

When I got the job as a funeral director, they stressed the idea of up selling products to the bereaved. Necklaces with finger prints in them, Photo albums, the Cadillac of caskets. It's was nauseating. No thank you. You're right, check around and don't let grief brain buy all the extra! Thank you forever for doing this.

[aTwistedSista]

“Phone calls are a violent act. I’m kidding...Am I?” Plus that re-enactment literally had me doubled over in laughter. 🤣🤣🤣

[zoomalark]

As a phone-phobic millennial, Caitlin's reenactment of avoiding phone calls made me feel the epitome of "I'm in this image, and I don't like it."

EDIT: Thank you all for the likes and relatability. I had to also put my beautiful fur baby down today (suddenly and unexpectedly) and it's the first time I've ever had to do so. Seeing your likes and comments even when I'm feeling awful makes me know that I can still make people happy as well. Thank you. ❤

[lauragonzales]

My dad passed last night. I want to thank you for mission in the death care industry. With what I learned from you, I was able to help my mom and save her money. The most important thing I kept saying was" is this what YOU need?" It put things in perspective . keep up with the good work.im so grateful to have found your channel 💛

[arleneboese]

I laughed when my husband told me he wanted to be cremated and as everyone gets a small handful of his ashes, I'm supposed to pop in a cassette and while everyone tosses his ashes to the song 'Dust In The Wind By Kansas !! Hahaha 😂

[Laurennn]

Everyone say it with me:
1. Home funeral!
2. Green burial!
3. Aquamation! (Legalize it!)

[Someoldguycoding]

If your family member is in hospice (home or facility), ask the hospice nurses. The hospice nurse for my mother-in-law provided us with the name of a very reasonable direct to cremation service! Saved hundreds to thousands. Hospice Nurses Rock! Thankfully there are people willing to do that very difficult job!

[SAOS]

when my grandfather died the funeral director got my grandmother to sign off on a $22000 service. full embalming, rosewood casket, the works. i think he would have wanted something plain and it's despicable how predatory and corrupt the funeral industry is.

[StarrytheArtist]

When my Dad had to put his mom in a home he called around to various funeral homes about what they offered. He ended up going with one that would pick up her body(not all offered that plus she was in a home 40 miles away), do a direct cremation and allowed payments before and after her passing. Some of the funeral homes wanted a lump sum the moment the individual died. When she did pass and I went with my dad to pick up her remains. The home offered memorial services and also catering. We ended up doing the catering since they allowed us to bring some of Grandma's favorite food and also gave us any leftovers. The same home gave my sister in law a free memorial service for her mom when she passed away suddenly. They also directed my sister in law to state assistance programs that help pay for funerals. All of this started with trying to plan ahead for my Grandma until we found a place that really worked for us.

[shekinahgonzalez]

that shot of caitlin clinking a white claw against an urn at 6:12 had me giggling so loud i nearly woke up the whole house

[cynhanrahan]

When my father was dying, he made all his own arrangements and paid for them. My brother went along to be sure all went well. He was to be buried at the VA cemetery, so that was taken care of. He did shop around and found a lower cost funeral home to process his body, bought an inexpensive coffin, and left instructions for what he wanted to be buried in and with. My brother axed the suit, which was a 1970s polyester leisure suit (which Dad rocked back in those times), so took Dad to buy a less disco suit. When he actually did die (at home), no one had to think of anything, except what to cook for the after service. And in my family, cooking is one way to expel some of the horrid raw part of grief. It was like he left us a gift. He really did. Keeping all the stepmoms from clawing each others eyes out was just part of our family's typical wedding/funeral drama.

[WanderingSeneca]

My mom passed away a few years ago after quite some time in assisted living. We tried caring for her for a year to "save" money but it got too hard as her dementia progressed. Bottom line we used most of her money to care for her and quite a bit of ours, at a time when the kids were in high school doing lots of activities too. Bottom line, when she passed we used the last $3, 000 we had to bury her, we did the best we could with what we had left. Of course, she didn't mind and the funeral home was more than happy to take our last $3, 000. The problem was my arrogant family (moms side); they almost shunned me because I apparently didn't have a $20, 000 dollar casket and $5, 000 worth of flowers and all kinds of other If the loss of my mom wasn't bad enough, the loss of my family I had known since I was born (I was the youngest out of all my cousins etc.) was even worse. I haven't talked to any of them in years now. Of course, they didn't offer to help out at the time either... The bottom line of the story, if the funeral home and expenses aren't bad enough, the family expecting you to spend thousands on an old persons funeral where 20 people show up is even worse!!!! Being native, the old way would have been better.... just sayin!

[marknesbitt]

When my dad died last year they started out at 9 grand and I just told him that wasn't going to happen and the funeral director was taken back when it was over we were at less than 2 grand and his insurance covered it