Why Plan Your Funeral in Advance?
The story below illustrates the benefits of preplanning your funeral. Also known as an “advance funeral plan”, “preneed”, or a “preplanned funeral”, it is one of the few things in life where you can pay today’s prices for a product and service you may not need for many years down the road, thus saving you money.
We buried my dad last week. My dad’s funeral would have been just a little more than $8,000 not counting the luncheon or cemetery space. However, thanks to his pre-need funeral plan that he prepared 18 years ago at the funeral home, we got it for $5,000 and some change. Saving money wasn’t necessarily what motivated him to make the plan in advance. But, let me tell you, my mom was pretty pleased to know she didn't have to write that check.
Now, I should clarify something here. My mom is more than okay financially. Paying, even the full $8,000, for the funeral would not have been a financial issue. It was an emotional thing. She knew the death of my dad was going to change her life. She just didn’t know how it would change. So, everything, every action and especially spending money, increased her anxiety. We didn’t need that. Thank you, dad, for taking care of the plan and its cost well before it was needed.
What motivated my father to pre-plan was the fact we are a blended family. It’s not the we don’t all get along, we do (most of the time). But, we don’t all have the same taste. My sister, his oldest daughter, likes the earth tones. Our mom, his wife, on the other hand, likes the jewel tones. My dad picked a black casket and even said he wanted to be buried in his navy suit. Seems like small stuff, but it probably saved us all some angst. There was no fuss, no brown suit and no hurt feelings.
If my dad would have asked us 18 years ago if he should pre-plan and pre-pay for his funeral, I feel certain all five of us would have said, “Don’t worry about that. We can take care of it when we have to.” I am so grateful that he did not ask and that he did not think just about the money portion of an advance funeral plan. Dad, thank you for being smarter than us and knowing that we would need your emotional support even in death.
Since 1881, W. L. Case and Company Funeral Directors has been honored to provide the families of the Great Bay Lakes community with the highest quality care and meaningful services tailored to the unique lives of their loved ones. Offering funeral, burial, memorial, and cremation services, their funeral home focuses on providing beautiful, lasting tributes that enable families to begin a healing journey with compassionate support. Their professional and empathetic staff give families resources to heal together, knowing that they always have a support system in W. L. Case and Company Funeral Directors to turn to throughout this journey through grief. Through six generations of family ownership, W. L. Case and Company Funeral Directors has been proud to provide services, support, and individualized care to families in need throughout Saginaw County, including Thomas Township, Saginaw Township, Bridgeport, Merrill, and surrounding communities. Visit casefuneralhome.com to learn more.
