Making Final Arrangements
Making Final Arrangements
The Key is take care of final arrangements while you are living to eliminate unnecessary cost and stress,
Trying to make sensible decisions while you are grieving the loss of a loved one is pure agony. Unless you have been in the situation of pre-planning final arrangements ahead of time vs. trying to make decisions in a highly stressful time there is no comparison. Most people do not realize how hard they are being directed and sold to do things at a time of great loss. Making final arrangements under such difficult conditions is simply unfair to the ones left behind.
By planning months or even years in advance, everything can be addressed more calmly, options weighed with a sound mind, and all the wishes of the loved one still living can be thought out and arranged. If you are working with a set budget you will more likely to stay within that limit if you plan in advance when you are not ruled by your emotions.
Some unscrupulous funeral directors will play on the sympathy of the family members at a highly vulnerable time. By no means do we want to imply that all funeral homes operate this way. But, if you handle your final arrangements in advance you have time to compare prices and determine what is best for all concerned without being influenced by a highly stressful situation that always occurs when matters are not addressed in advance. It is far better to take the stress out of the equation. And in the end, you will feel much better about the decisions made.
What you decide is your business, but making final arrangements without stress and plenty of time to consider all options simply makes more sense. Yes, it is hard to come to grips with the possibility that a parent or grandparent may someday no longer be with you someday, but given the choice between making these decisions at the last minute, in-between the tears or ahead of time when you can think with a clear mind, making final arrangements without stress is far easier in the long run. And it will most likely be much easier on your pocket book.
Then, when the time comes to mourn the lost, everything has been taken care of which gives the family time to take care of one another and share their grief without any pressure to make decisions in haste.