It’s no secret that funerals can be incredibly expensive. From the coffin to the care of the body to the burial service itself, there are a lot of expenses involved. A typical funeral can cost thousands of dollars, depending on the options you choose. If the deceased did not have any assets at the time of their death, this can create a major financial burden for their family, on top of the grief they are already experiencing. Green burial options are growing in popularity, not just for their benefits for the environment, but also their reduced costs. Here’s what you need to know about how a natural burial can lower your funeral expenses.
Embalming
In a natural burial, you’ll be able to forgo a lot of the expenses that contribute to the high cost of standard funerals. For starters, a natural burial doesn’t involve embalming the body, which can add a lot of money to the overall cost of the burial. Though many people choose to have the body embalmed in order to give it a more natural appearance when on display during the service, it is not technically a necessity for burying the body. In fact, many of the chemicals used in the process then end up going back into the earth, harming our environment. In a green burial, the body is not embalmed, saving you money right from the start.
Coffin
Coffins are incredibly expensive and add a lot to your costs. Depending on the specific options you choose, the coffin could end up being the most expensive aspect of the burial. Details like marble, gold, and other luxury materials significantly increase the cost over that of a basic wooden coffin. However, even a wood coffin can be costly. In a green burial, you have the option of burying the body in a cotton shroud instead of a traditional coffin. Not only is this far less expensive, but it is also far better for the environment, as the cotton fabric will break down easily over time.
Cemetery
Traditional cemeteries tend to be more expensive than green cemeteries. This is because they have the added costs of constructing vaults, headstones, and other decorative accents. A green cemetery, on the other hand, will typically enable you to plant a tree on the burial site in lieu of a traditional headstone. As the body decomposes over time, it fertilizes the tree, helping it to grow and continuing the cycle of life.
Discussing the end of life is an incredibly sensitive topic for most people, but it can save you and your loved ones a lot of money on funeral costs if you consider having a green burial instead of a standard funeral service.
Here at Milton Fields, we are the only green burial site in the Atlanta area, and we will be happy to help you plan a natural burial for your loved one.
We recognize what a sensitive time this is for you and will do everything we can to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible while also helping you to minimize your overall costs for the burial. Get in touch with us today to get started.