Planning your own funeral in advance will not only make the difficult time easier for your family members when the time comes, but it also allows you to ensure that your life is celebrated in a way that you would want. The death of a loved one always signals an emotional time with complicated decisions for those who need to make funeral arrangements, so here are some tips to consider to pre-plan your own funeral.
How to stipulate your funeral wishes
A few basic questions will need to be answered and written down or communicated to your family in advance.
- Decide whether you would want your body to be buried or cremated (another option is to donate your body to science to help students better understand the human body).
- Would you want to have a funeral/memorial service? If so, where would you like this to take place?
- Think about your final resting place. Would you want to be buried in a specific cemetery? Would you like for your ashes to be scattered at a location that has significance to you or your family?
- An essential aspect of any funeral is the budget, as this will dictate the type of funeral and/or service. If you have a funeral plan or money set aside for this purpose, inform your family in advance.
How do you pay for your funeral?
Since funeral expenses are such an important aspect of planning your funeral, you should know the different financing options.
- Funeral cover
One of the most popular options is to get a funeral policy that will offer a stipulated pay-out if one of the insured individuals under the policy should pass away. A funeral plan usually has a small monthly premium, and different plans offer different premium increments.
- Prepayment
Prepaid funeral insurance products allow you to pay for your funeral in advance through monthly installments.
- Cash
Should you not have a funeral cover or other insurance products for your funeral, your funeral can be paid in cash (or credit card)
It’s never too early to plan your funeral, as you will ultimately be making it easier for your loved ones during a time when they are struck with the grief of your death. We offer various plans under our funeral cover policy, with monthly premiums ranging between R25 to R150.
Should you want to discuss our funeral cover policy to plan your own funeral, contact Total Risk Administrators today: www.totalrisksa.co.za
