Cost of funerals

Murt10

From the Irish independent.

Government accused of telling us to 'shop around for cheaper funeral'

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/government-accused-of-telling-us-to-shop-around-for-cheaper-funeral-29702238.html

More lazy journalism from that rag. What else would you expect. It's a paper version of Talk to Joe. Cheap headlines.

They were referring to Willie O'Dea TD, saying how far the Government appeared to be removed from reality, asking people to shop around for a funeral. If the FF government, which included former Minister Willie O'Dea, hadn't for years themselves, been totally removed from reality, spending money like a drunken sailor, and allowing the banks to do the same, then the Country wouldn't be in the mess we are in now.

I have spent all my life watching what I spent and looking for places that I could get the same thing cheaper. Hence my presence here. I'm frugal, what's wrong with that. To me, shopping round for a funeral, or getting a trusted relative or friend to do this on your behalf, especially if you are spending a large amount your own hard earned money, makes perfect sense. Better than taking out a CR union loan, and leaving your loved ones with a debt that is going to have to be repaid over a couple of years.

I remember reading that the average cost in Dublin is around E7,000-8,000. Think about it, funeral homes are businesses, they are there to maximise their profits and the way they do this is to make us spend as much as they can.

They will try and rip us off when we are at our most vulnerable. When we are not thinking straight, and not up to an argument, and don't want be seen to be mean. Apparently, there is a cartel operating among the funeral homes in Dublin and it is impossible for a new company to break into it.

I remember watching "The Money Programme" on BBC 2 years ago. Some big US funeral company was going round the UK buying up small local funeral homes. Nothing changed on the outside, the name stayed the same etc, but inside all the staff were sent on lots of courses. The courses were not on how to deal with the bereaved, make them feel better etc. No, they were pure sales courses. Get the bereaved to spend as much as they can, whether they can afford it or not by saying things like "This is the last thing you will ever be able to do for him.... Give him a good send off that he would be proud of....Don't let him down now.... This is one of our most popular caskets..... etc"

In the case of my own death, which will occur sometime in the future, I don't think that at the time that Mrs Murt will feel much like shopping round (I could be wrong!). No, I'm not dying, or even sick for that matter, but I have already asked another relative that when I die, if they would mind shopping around for my funeral. I don't want an expensive coffin. I want the cheapest one possible. It's only going to be used for two or three days and then it's going to be buried in muck, never to be seen again.

What are mourning cars for. They were needed years ago, when no-one had a car. That is no longer the case.

Wouldn't it be far more useful to everyone, if the unattributed journalist who wrote that piece, rang around the different funeral homes and got a quote from them on the cost of a funeral for his "recently departed nearest and dearest", and published the results, along with tips on how to cut the cost of funerals for the bereaved. No. Too much work. Better things to do. Time is money.

Far better go for a rubbish story that doesn't have to be researched.

Anyway, the bargain alert here is to ask a friend/relative to shop around when or before the Grim Reaper comes knocking at your door. Leave instructions as to the type of funeral you want, and possibly leave some of the savings made to some cause that you choose, or sending your survivors on a break, rather than lining the undertakers pockets.


EDIT: Here's an article that I just came across in the Irish Examiner. Obviously a much higher standard of journalism demanded there.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/i-planned-my-own-funeral-205729.html

amdublin

It's funny but sometimes it really is important to grieving relatives to give their loved one the best sending off/the best coffin etc.

It wouldn't be to my taste, or to anyone in my family but I know other families who this would be important to them.

Ps. Not to say that I agree with heavy sales tactics

I asked my elderly Mum what she wanted for her funeral. As in coffin, flowers, where to have the "do" after, etc. She was glad to talk about it and asked me to give her the flowers now, when she can enjoy them! So I do. My siblings were horrified that I would dare ask such a question, but they now bring her flowers and treats too! Hopefully she'll be with us for many years to come, but we now know what she wants and when the time comes will do as she wanted.
I have also spoken to my own kids as to what I want when I go.

spank_inferno

We need private sector grave-yards.

Where I am they are all council owned.. Costing 2.5k to dig a hole.

kirb42

Well put Mort... I Couldn't agree more.....

to quote the late Bob Hope....

when asked on his deathbed where he wanted to be buried, Hope had told his wife, "Surprise me"

Capt'n Midnight

Meanwhile in the UK the co-op also do funerals.
http://www.co-operative.coop/funeralcare/

but

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2163891/Channel-4-Dispatches-funeral-firm-Families-horror-Co-op-funeral-firm-piled-naked-bodies-like-TVs.html

There was also criticism of sales methods at a branch in Hayes, West London, where trainees were told not to offer the basic £2,010 package to customers. The area manager said: ‘The bottom line is we’re a business and we need to make money.’

Kristopherus

Where's the Bargain Alert?;)

RainyDay

spank_inferno wrote: »

We need private sector grave-yards.

Where I am they are all council owned.. Costing 2.5k to dig a hole.

I'm not sure at all the the private graveyards around Dublin have managed to bring down prices. The private funeral directors around Dublin haven't managed to bring down prices.

I guess people just aren't in the mood for haggling or shopping round.

The only solution seems to be to avoid the traditional funeral. Get cremated, avoid the church, have a get together in the local GAA club.

shar01

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Meanwhile in the UK the co-op also do funerals.
http://www.co-operative.coop/funeralcare/

but

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2163891/Channel-4-Dispatches-funeral-firm-Families-horror-Co-op-funeral-firm-piled-naked-bodies-like-TVs.html

Yep, we need something similar to Co-op here. My gran in England organised and paid for her funeral in 2010. She died earlier this year and everything was sorted as she wanted it.

Maybe as cremation becomes more popular, prices will come down.

shar01

RainyDay wrote: »

The only solution seems to be to avoid the traditional funeral. Get cremated, avoid the church, have a get together in the local GAA club.

So far this year I heard of two funerals bypassing the church and having a humanist service in the funeral home.

Package

was literally just talking about this this morning.. and how much it would cost when, eventually the aul parents pass on, since they have NOTHING, it would be down to us kids to pay , does anyone know how much roughy a funeral costs in dublin? considering they dont even have a plot yet.

crazygeryy

how is this a bargain alert?

Truckermal

crazygeryy wrote: »

how is this a bargain alert?

Aye I was sure Amazon were doing super saver delivery for the whole package and DPD would collect your dead relative FOC..;)

Truckermal

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rubies-Masquerade-Long-Corrugated-Coffin/dp/B000VOB2BG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382879850&sr=8-1&keywords=coffin

Actually here ya go!!!!

utyh2ikcq9z76b

Heres the bargain alert:

http://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/BDP%20BROCHURE%20SMMSWEB13.pdf

This is what Im going to do, donate your body to science

gandalf

Isn't this more of a consumer issue.

My dad died nearly seven years ago (in fact tomorrow is the seventh anniversary of his death). He had a stroke and survived in hospital for another six months before dying of respiratory complications. Towards the end it was obvious that he was not going to make it. A week before he died I started to shop around for his funeral because my mother was in no condition to do this herself. It was one of the weirdest experiences that I have every had to do in my life to shop around for an event like this.

I started with all the big names in Dublin as we lived in Dublin South at the time and was shocked at their charges. I ended up calling the undertakers just outside Dublin and settled on one from Bray whose quote was significantly less than the others (around €2500 less although I can't remember what the final charge was again). I was worried that they would provide a lesser service for my father but I did check around with people I knew from Bray and they calmed my fears. The funeral went as expected and my mother and my dads family were happy with the service which was the most important factor.

That was an unusual situation as I would say the majority do not have the timescale to shop around. It is also a very emotive thing to search out such a service for a loved one and some of the funeral homes do benefit from this. I suppose I was a bit detached because I had come to terms with the fact my father was going to die, three weeks after the initial stroke we were all called in at 2am because they reckoned he was going to die and then around 2 months into his six month term in hospital he spent two weeks in intensive care.

It does pay to shop around and I'd recommend that anyone who is in a situation to arrange a funeral give it to a friend to look around and get the best value.

tayto lover

When I go they can stick a candle up my a*** and float me out to sea for all I care.

Victor

Murt10 wrote: »

In the case of my own death, which will occur sometime in the future, I don't think that at the time that Mrs Murt will feel much like shopping round (I could be wrong!). No, I'm not dying, or even sick for that matter, but I have already asked another relative that when I die, if they would mind shopping around for my funeral. I don't want an expensive coffin. I want the cheapest one possible. It's only going to be used for two or three days and then it's going to be buried in muck, never to be seen again.

You know that you can pre-arrange your own funeral - many people do.

MagicMarker

In going to have my body delivered to a parcel motel.

Blade

gandalf wrote: »

Isn't this more of a consumer issue.

Moved.

byhookorbycrook

I'm being donated to medical science so a grand cheapo deal!

endofrainbow

box of matches and a cardboard box for me !

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

This is no more a consumer issue than buying a car, airline tickets, wedding venues, cornflakes, clothes, or a camera. If cost is an issue then you shop around and buy a product that fits your budget.

Howard Juneau

Halle Enough Spike wrote: »

This is no more a consumer issue than buying a car, airline tickets, wedding venues, cornflakes, clothes, or a camera. If cost is an issue then you shop around and buy a product that fits your budget.

Or you let the body in the house/flat and let the council pay for the funeral

ABajaninCork

I was thinking about this recently after a family bereavement. In the UK, (where I'm from) people take out insurance policies to cover the costs of the funeral. You can decide on burial or cremation; cost of the plot/urn; wreathes; cars; music - whatever you need really. Most of the plans are with the Co-Op as that's the major supplier. Members of my family and a few of my friends have such a plan in place.

Asked my husband and in-laws about a similar sort of plan here as I'd like to take one out. Seems it's not possible - doesn't exist. Why?? Seems only sensible to me. That way, you plan what you want in advance, and the money's there to pay for it. Clean and simple.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

ABajaninCork wrote: »

I was thinking about this recently after a family bereavement. In the UK, (where I'm from) people take out insurance policies to cover the costs of the funeral. You can decide on burial or cremation; cost of the plot/urn; wreathes; cars; music - whatever you need really. Most of the plans are with the Co-Op as that's the major supplier. Members of my family and a few of my friends have such a plan in place.

Asked my husband and in-laws about a similar sort of plan here as I'd like to take one out. Seems it's not possible - doesn't exist. Why?? Seems only sensible to me. That way, you plan what you want in advance, and the money's there to pay for it. Clean and simple.

Many undertakers will offer pre-pay plans like that.

ABajaninCork

Halle Enough Spike wrote: »

Many undertakers will offer pre-pay plans like that.

I've not seen or heard of any in Cork! Anyway - why should the choice be restricted? Why not take out a funeral plan with which ANY undertaker can be paid from the proceeds? That's what I was asking...

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

ABajaninCork wrote: »

I've not seen or heard of any in Cork! Anyway - why should the choice be restricted? Why not take out a funeral plan with which ANY undertaker can be paid from the proceeds? That's what I was asking...

Open a savings account?

ABajaninCork

Yes, I suppose I could. But with respect, that WASN'T the question I was asking...

L1011

ABajaninCork wrote: »

I was thinking about this recently after a family bereavement. In the UK, (where I'm from) people take out insurance policies to cover the costs of the funeral. You can decide on burial or cremation; cost of the plot/urn; wreathes; cars; music - whatever you need really. Most of the plans are with the Co-Op as that's the major supplier. Members of my family and a few of my friends have such a plan in place.

Asked my husband and in-laws about a similar sort of plan here as I'd like to take one out. Seems it's not possible - doesn't exist. Why?? Seems only sensible to me. That way, you plan what you want in advance, and the money's there to pay for it. Clean and simple.

They exist but are really only marketed to >50s.

Victor

A few points:

Undertakers expect not to be paid promptly, so they may offer a discount if paid promptly.

If going the pre-pay route, you can avail of what you want and probably obtain the discount as well.