Budgeting for the unexpected

There are some IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS when it comes to budgeting for a funeral. 

The first thing to consider is that the funeral industry operates largely on a cash basis. In other words 99% of the time payment is required before burial or cremation. Many of the expenses incurred by the funeral company are up front costs and most of a funeral company’s service providers require payment before they will act.

The second thing to consider is the method of payment. An EFT, cash or cheque payment is usually acceptable. In the case of the deceased having a funeral policy, if the policy cannot be paid out in good time funeral companies will require that the family settle the invoice and then recover their money once the policy is processed.

The third issue to keep in mind is that choices impact cost. Professional fees charged by most funeral companies remain fairly consistent, the increases in the cost of a funeral are usually expenses related to the decisions made by the client. The basic service offered by a company may begin anywhere between R6500 and R10000 and go as high as R12000 to R20000 or more depending the choices made and services added.

STRATEGIES TO REDUCE COSTS

The price of coffins can range from the relatively cheap at just over R1000 with the more ornate reaching prices of R20000 or more. The cheapest coffin is usually an unpainted cremation coffin used for unattended cremations.

If a coffin is required for a service you might consider one of the cheaper entry level coffins with a pall (i.e. cloth) draped over it. Here the coffin is not seen and the draped pall can look quite presentable.

The choice of Service will also impact the cost. A Memorial Service does not require the coffin to be present at the service which means you are free to make use of a cheaper coffin. It also means Undertakers and a hearse will not be required for the service which is a cost saver. A Funeral Service (i.e. coffin at the Service) requires a presentable coffin, hearse, Undertakers and usually a spray of flowers for the coffin. If the family provides pall bearers at the service only one Undertaker needs to be in attendance which may reduce the cost somewhat.

Flowers are normally provided by the funeral company to accompany the coffin (i.e. coffin spray). The choice of flowers and size of arrangement will impact the cost. It is convenient to allow the funeral company to arrange this on your behalf but you are more than welcome to provide the flowers yourself. A simple bunch of flowers placed on the coffin can be an attractive feature.

Service Leaflets are usually a standard feature at a Memorial or Funeral Service. A church will often have hymn books in the pews or a system to project songs, photos and other items onto a screen which could nullify the need for a service leaflet. Most families do feel this is an important memento of the occasion though and worth the expense. A basic black and white service leaflet on good quality paper is usually budget friendly. The cost of a colour service leaflet can vary depending on the number of photos and quality of paper. If you can find a template of a service leaflet you can do the setup and printing yourself but be aware that this can take a considerable amount of time and effort.

Newspaper inserts are charged per line of text and a standard announcement of death with service date and time can start at about R350/R450 per day. Social media is a wonderful tool to spread the news of service details. You can have these placed on the Facebook page of Shoreline Funerals and refer people there if you wish.

For a no obligation quote email us at info@shorelinefunerals.co.za, call us on 084 710 1234, or visit the Cost Estimate page.