Ranging funeral costs: It could pay to ask around
Apr 11, 2018Melissa Halverson of Spokane and her family found themselves diving quickly into the world of funeral expenses after her mother died unexpectedly in 2015. What Halverson and her family found was that a little knowledge ahead of time was key. She and her husband had already done some research into funeral expenses for themselves, so they were on firmer footing.“It did give us a reminder this is something that needs to be taken care of,” she said. “We both want cremation. It’s important that you let your family know. Burial is very expensive, and we don’t want any of our family to be saddled with any of that.”She added, “We have some family members who don’t want to be cremated. They’re setting aside money, but we’re looking at $10,000 to $15,000 for burial and all the options.”Depending on where survivors live, the cost of funeral services varies across Washington state, a new survey found.People’s Memorial Association, a funeral education and advocacy group, researched prices statewide as of Dec. 31 among 178 funeral homes handling at least 10 cases in 2015. The group seeks more transparency in how people are informed about various costs for arrangements.In Spokane for instance, families pay more for a basic cremation without any memorial service – at an average price of $1,250 to $1,300 – than about $850 to $900 charged in higher-population counties near Seattle, said Kathy Long, the association’s director.While noting survivors’ grief, she suggests families seek comparison pricing and plan ahead if possible.“The thing that makes the biggest difference is first of all families discuss what you want,” Long said. “That gives you the power to say at a funeral home, ‘This is what I want, nothing more.’ ”“Even if you haven’t discussed anything, at least know you can shop around. It’s OK, because it can be a very expensive thing. It can be all over the place.”A statewide average cost for basic cremation came to $1,363 but ranges from $490 to $4,000, the group said. An average price for immediate burial – lacking any view... (The Spokesman-Review)
