Serene FarewellsFuneral, cremation & memorial planning guidance

How can I save money on a funeral without sacrificing quality?

The biggest savings come from knowing your rights, comparing itemized prices, and choosing only what matters to your family — not from cutting corners on care.

Edited by Steven Royster, Licensed Funeral Director (FL) Published January 3, 2024 Updated How we create content

Key points

  • The FTC Funeral Rule lets you get prices by phone, receive an itemized price list, and buy only the items you want.
  • Comparing the same arrangement at two or three funeral homes often reveals large price differences.
  • The choices that change the total most are: viewing and embalming, the casket, burial vs. cremation, and cemetery charges.
  • A meaningful service doesn't have to be expensive. Much of what makes a funeral personal costs little.

1. Know your rights under the Funeral Rule

The Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule gives you, among other rights, the right to:

  • get price information over the phone;
  • receive a written, itemized General Price List (GPL) when you discuss arrangements in person;
  • choose individual goods and services rather than a package (apart from the funeral home's basic services fee and items required by law or by a cemetery or crematory you choose);
  • supply your own casket or urn without being charged a handling fee;
  • use an alternative container instead of a casket for direct cremation; and
  • receive an itemized written statement of what you've chosen before you pay.

Embalming is not required by federal law, and a funeral home may not tell you it is legally required when it isn't. It may be required by a funeral home's policy for a public viewing.

2. Compare itemized prices

  1. Decide the basic arrangement first — for example, direct cremation followed by a memorial, or a funeral with viewing and burial. The cost calculator can help.
  2. Call or email two or three funeral homes and ask for the total price of that same arrangement, or ask for their GPL.
  3. Compare line by line: basic services fee, transfer of remains, embalming or refrigeration, use of facilities and staff for viewing and ceremony, vehicles, casket or container, crematory fee, and cash advance items such as death certificates.
  4. Watch package pricing. Packages can be good value, but only if you want everything in them. Ask what the package price would be without the items you don't need.

A nonprofit funeral consumer group may have published local price surveys; the Funeral Consumers Alliance lists local affiliates.

3. Choose where it matters most

Viewing and embalming

A public viewing usually means embalming, cosmetic preparation, and facility and staff charges. If seeing the person matters, ask about a short private family viewing, which some funeral homes can offer without embalming. Holding the service without the body present — a memorial service — removes these costs.

The casket

The casket is often the largest single item in a burial. Funeral homes must show you their casket price list before showing caskets. You can also buy a casket from a third party, including online retailers, and the funeral home must accept it. For a viewing before cremation, ask about a rental casket.

Burial or cremation

Direct cremation is usually the least expensive option overall. Burial adds cemetery costs that can be substantial. See is cremation cheaper than burial?

Cemetery charges

Ask the cemetery for its price list: plot, opening and closing (which may cost more on weekends), vault or liner requirements, marker rules and setting fees. Cemeteries are often regulated separately from funeral homes and are not all covered by the Funeral Rule, so ask clearly about every charge.

4. Spend less on the extras, not on what matters

  • Venue: a place of worship, community hall, park or family home can host a memorial at little or no cost.
  • Obituary: newspaper notices charge by length. Publish a short notice and post a fuller obituary free on the funeral home's website. See how to write an obituary.
  • Flowers: one or two arrangements, flowers from a garden or grocery store, or a request for donations to a charity instead.
  • Programs: design and print simple programs yourself. See guest books and service supplies.
  • Reception: a potluck, light refreshments, or a gathering at home.
  • Music and tributes: recorded music, family members reading, and a photo slideshow made by a relative are both meaningful and inexpensive. Our service planner helps you build the order of service.

5. Check for benefits and help

Veterans' benefits, the Social Security lump-sum death payment for an eligible spouse or child, life insurance, employer benefits and some state and local programs can help. See government funeral benefits.

6. Ask, and take your time

It's appropriate to ask a funeral director, "Is there a less expensive way to do this?" Good funeral directors expect cost questions. You can also take the price list home and decide later. Avoid committing to anything in the first hours after a death if you're unsure.

Planning ahead saves the most

Comparing prices calmly in advance, writing down your wishes, and setting money aside are the most reliable ways to avoid overspending. See planning ahead and prepaying for a funeral.

Sources and references

  1. Federal Trade Commission: Shopping for Funeral Services
  2. Federal Trade Commission: Complying with the Funeral Rule
  3. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations: 16 CFR Part 453 — Funeral Industry Practices
  4. Funeral Consumers Alliance (nonprofit): Funeral Consumers Alliance

Rules, benefit amounts and prices change. Where a source is a government agency, check it directly for current figures. See our sources and fact-checking policy.

Related guides and tools

This guide is general educational information from Serene Farewells, an independent publisher. It is not legal, medical, financial or tax advice, and Serene Farewells is not a funeral provider. Laws and prices vary by state and provider. Spot an error? Tell us.