15 Ways to

Find Money & Reduce Funeral Costs TODAY

 

Whole Body Donation to Science & Education 

COST: FREE within 100 miles of the University of Utah. Although the U of U prefers donors sign up ahead of time, the Next of kin may call (University of Utah 801-581-6728) to arrange consent immediately.

If a mortuary has the body, tell them that you wish to donate the body to science or education (embalming is done differently). Contact the U of U Body Donor Program directly if you are not using a mortuary. You may have a week or so for viewing or funeral before donating the body, if you keep it properly cooled.

After the school is done with the body, the cremated remains are either buried at the Salt Lake City Cemetery, or you may request they be returned to the family.

 

The following disqualify a body for study:

• major recent surgery

• traumatic accident

• autopsy

• ascites (severe abdominal fluid retention)

• edema

• obesity

• contagious disease (such as HIV, Hepatitis, Jacob Kruetzfeld or Tuberculosis)

• jaundice

• organ donation other than skin and eyes (Using your drivers license you can alter your organ donor details. For example you can specify "skin & eyes only" on the Donor Registry: www.yesutah.org )

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Find the Contract & Change Your Mind
Sometimes a contract for funeral services has been purchased prior to death but no survivors know it. Hunt for it. If you find a contract with a funeral home, but the package is too fancy, you can reduce the products or services that were paid for and apply the proceeds to pay for unexpected costs such as non-resident burial, or body transport, etc. Example: switch to cremation to afford a cemetery plot.

Utah Funeral Licensure Rules:

R156-9-617. Goods and Services Not Provided - Refund.

If goods or services selected in the preneed contract are not provided at the time of need, the amount paid for those goods and services and any unexpended earnings thereupon will be distributed to the preneed contract buyer or the buyer's representative or in their absence, the buyer's heirs and beneficiaries.

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Crime Victim's Reparation

You may be able to apply for reimbursement of funeral and burial related expenses: https://crimevictim.utah.gov/ 

In some states if you start a "Go-fund me" before applying for 'victim reparations' you may be disqualified. Ask if that's the case in Utah.

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Search for Other Death Benefits

Most benefits are not automatic and must be applied for. So be sure to find out if the deceased was a member of:

• Veteran's Association (see below for more veterans details),

• Unions

• Fraternal organizations

• Credit Unions or Banks (One local C.U. provides every account holder a $1K death benefit!)

• An Employer death benefit plan

• Social Security ($255 to surviving spouse or dependents living in the home),

• Insurance (some car or homeowners insurances comes with a death benefit)

 

Could there be a "Pay On Death" Account?

A Pay-on-Death (P.O.D.) account is a savings account with a named beneficiary to access, but only upon death (when the beneficiary presents a death certificate). People usually set these up to be used to pay immediate bills after death. This money will bypass probate.

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Public Appeals

Stories about fund-raisers are often seen in the news. If you go this route don't feel pressured to buy anything BEFORE you have searched out your options to raise funds and reduce costs. Watch out for high refrigeration charges at most mortuaries.  They say they will charge a lot in order to pressure you to make fast decisions.  You CAN negotiate a reasonable storage fee or demand the body back.

 

If it turns out to be hard to raise funds, there are options to over-priced products & services. See some solutions to this dilemma on our DIY page.

 

Veterans Benefits

Honorably discharged veterans get FREE burial at a National Veterans Cemetery & Utah's State Veterans Cemetery.  Free burial often includes a grave plot (or niche in the case of ashes), vault, opening and closing, marker, and setting fee. 

Spouses of Veterans get burial for under $828 plus the cost of a vault.

Utah's Veteran Cemetery & Memorial Park : 801-254-9036

17111 S Camp Williams Rd, Bluffdale, UT 84065

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See more general details on Veterans' benefits https://www.cem.va.gov/burial_benefits/index.asp

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TAPS.org may help pay funeral or cremation costs, apply here: https://www.taps.org/casework

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For burial in a Veterans' Cemetery you need a: "DD 214" This is a document of the United States Department of Defense, issued upon a service member's retirement, separation or discharge from active-duty.  If your DD214 is lost do not wait until after death to obtain one. 

Reservists and National Guard retired personnel with 20 yrs of service are eligible for burial also, as well as surviving spouses and dependent children (under rules established by the State of Utah: Just Google "Utah Code 71-7-3" to read it.

 

Utah Families can act as their own funeral director when caring for their veteran dead with proper paperwork from the Health Department's Vital Records Office (located in the county where death occurred). Family may bring their veteran to the cemetery themselves, make their own casket and bypass a mortuary completely, saving several thousand dollars. (see how on our "DIY Funeral" page)

 

Relatives Sharing the Cost

If no individual was assigned to control the disposition of remains prior to death, it falls to "the next of kin" to AGREE on what to purchase. Many find it difficult to buy a frugal & simple funeral in this situation.

 

CAUTION: We have seen time and again, an offer from one family member to "pay for everything" (maybe they have a friend in the funeral biz from whom they think they can get a deal). They notoriously have no clue how quickly costs add up. When they get the bill (or their part of it) they change their mind, and expect you to pitch-in more, "after all you made the selections". Do yourself a favor and reduce costs up front no matter what help is offered.

 

Ask for Church Offerings

Some families ask their congregation to help pay for a funeral. Church leaders often play a neutral role in decisions about what services you buy, so as not to pressure you into something you'll later regret. You'll be accepting money normally designated for people's living expenses so consider using our price comparison survey of funeral homes we have done for you.Conducting a lovely funeral or memorial service doesn't need to cost anything. Did you know mortuaries charge hundreds just to be at your viewing or visitation? and hundreds more to be at your chapel? and hundreds more to be at the graveside? You don't need them there.

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Apply for Indigent Cremation

If the deceased and responsible next of kin earned below the Utah 2022 Indigent Income Guidelines then you may qualify. This funding is typically applied for through the contracted provider in the county where death occurred. In Salt Lake County the contracted provider is Wisombe Funeral Home.

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Utah Code § 26B-8-225(2) states that Family may claim remains after cremation.​

OBITUARIES when the county pays for disposition:

Newspaper obituaries are very expensive so a death notice will be placed in the paper instead. Online Obituary Sites like obituare.com will typically let you post a simple short-term obituary for free, or an obituary with all the bells and whistles for a flat fee.

 

Compare Prices

One way to lower costs dramatically is to choose a more fair-priced mortuary in your section of Utah: At-A-Glance Mortuary Price Comparison Charts

Another way to find a fair-priced one is to Search online: "Discount Funeral (or cremation) Provider Near Me". https://www.funeralocity.com/  can sort by distance, price and type of service anywhere in the nation, to give a general idea of the lowest priced providers in your area. It does not list all funeral homes.

We have not comparison shopped CEMETERIES (plots, fees and liners often total over $2K), but some are extremely high priced and have unfair fees to watch out for.

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Cheaper Caskets

Make a casket or Buy a Casket from a Vendor that Sells Directly to the Public (such as TitanCasket.com). Or buy a cardboard or cremation casket. See our Caskets page for vendors  Note: it is a violation of the Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule for a funeral home to charge you a fee for providing your own casket. Call us if they try: Joyce 801-368-5884

 

Cremation

You should not have to pay more that $1K. Two or three persons' ashes may be buried in each plot in most cemeteries (saving $1500 or more per burial). Or bury ashes for FREE without a container, or scatter ashes nearly anywhere.  Burial in the Pacific Ocean costs $195.

You can still hold a funeral before or a memorial service after without a funeral director. 

Do you worry cremation is opposed by God?: Scriptural and Religious Views on Modes of Disposition

 

A Basic Cremation Casket                                  An example of a Deluxe Cremation Casket $600

(aka "alternative container")$150                      

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 "Just Cremations"

 in Utah charging

 only $695 => =>

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Transport Your Own Dead

EMBALMING IS NOT REQUIRED for viewing or body transport, even across State lines (unless you're a funeral director)! Families can transport their own dead! ALSO you don't have a limited time to bury just because you choose not to embalm (you simply keep the body cold). Call/text Joyce at 801-368-5884 any time 7 days/week if anyone tries to lie to you about that. 

Experience the special satisfaction that comes to those who care for their dead personally.

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Ask for and Accept Participation instead of Cash

When a death occurs loved ones want to do something. It doesn't take a lot of people to pull off a lovely service. They often say, "Please call if I can do anything", not being at all sure what they really could do. So here is a list to help:

 

• Help notify family and friends, by phone or e-mail, Facebook or Twitter or Website.

• Be in charge/or assist you in obtaining the required paperwork (death certificate, burial transit or disposition permit, permit to cremate).

• Contact the cemetery, crematory, or medical school to schedule the body's arrival.

• Prepare the body (mortuaries charge ~$400 to dress and casket a body)

• Make or purchase a local casket or shroud (save at least ~$500 to $1500)

• Obtain dry ice or frozen gel packs, if needed. (Professional Refrigeration ~$100/day)

• Offer their home or yard as a venue for services 

• Arrange for music.

• Contact clergy or someone else to conduct the services (save ~$600 to conduct yourselves)

• Collect photos or other memorabilia.

• Transport: flowers, handicrafts, & photos to the meeting locations (FH's charge ~$400 for this).

• Invite guests to bring refreshments instead of flowers.

• Meet out-of-town guests at the airport.

• Provide overnight accommodations for guests.

• Encouragement: the body doesn't have to be present or the casket doesn't have to be open.

• Print programs for the service (mortuaries charge ~$200)

• Video any events for the benefit of out-of-town family (mortuary charge hundreds for this).

• Let the pall bearers carry the casket (instead of ~$400 to use mortuary casket cart).

• Lend a vehicle to transport the casket (instead of $350 hearse)

 

OBITUARIES 

Newspaper obituaries are very expensive so a death notice will be placed in the paper instead when the county pays for disposition.

Online Obituary sites like https://www.obituare.com/ help you build, share and host an obituary, all for free right now.

Mortuaries often post obituaries on their site too so it should stay online as long as the mortuary is in business.

Some newspapers let you buy a minimal obit (like $350) and then add more photos and content AFTER the funeral (no charge).

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Keep scrolling down for local deals (or in your right toolbar on desktops)

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