The Unbiased Funeral Plan Guide: How To Beat The Funeral Price Hike, Before Prices Reach Tipping Point...

The importance of planning ahead

Your funeral should be the ultimate celebration of your life, so why leave any aspect of it to chance?

Dealing with the cost of funerals

So how can you deal with the cost of such an expensive rite of passage?

My Story: Why I Care So Much About You
Getting The Send Off You Deserve

When my uncle passed away suddenly at only 52 years of age, I found myself faced with the challenge of having to plan his funeral.

Not only was I left reeling from his unexpected death at a young age, but I also realised I knew next to nothing about how to organise a funeral ceremony. What’s more, when I looked into his plans, I realised there was nothing in place. There was no blueprint or indication of what he would have wanted left behind, which left myself and my family in the difficult position of having to imagine what he would have wanted from his final goodbye.

On top of all this stress and heartbreak, there was also the financial pressure to deal with. My uncle hadn’t put anything aside for this purpose - and I suppose I can see why.

As a healthy civil servant working in a relatively low-stress job he enjoyed, he probably didn’t expect to begin estate planning until much later in life. There was no history of early deaths in our family, and he was an incredibly healthy guy who still enjoyed a regular weekly kick about. Suffice it to say, when he passed away, we were all plunged into deep shock.

As his two young sons struggled to cope, I stepped up to the plate to help with the planning. Trying to organise everything from the physical burial process itself to the accompanying ceremony, invitees, flowers, food and the location became increasingly difficult.

There were many sleepless nights and even a few arguments with family about how things should be dealt with. The financial aspect of funeral planning was a main source of conflict; his family resorted to placing things on credit cards, and even selling the odd item here and there to raise extra funds.

We didn’t even opt to have a big funeral in the end because the costs were so high, and yet we still faced a struggle. Eventually, the family and even a few close friends chipped in enough to cover the cost, and my beloved uncle was laid to rest.

The average age of death in the UK is officially 81.5 years of age, but if my uncle’s death taught me anything, it’s that it’s never too early to start estate planning.

I can’t help but think how much easier the whole process would have been if there was a plan in place, not just to ensure he got the send off he truly wanted, but also to alleviate the financial strain that burdened his family.

My own parents were so impacted by the whole turn of events, they looked into prepaid funeral plans. Seeing the strain that his sons faced really resonated with them, and I think made them aware of just how much I would have to do if either one of them were to pass away suddenly.

I miss my uncle every day, and would never begrudge him for not planning ahead. Luckily, our family was just about able to manage, but I know that won’t be the case for everyone.

That's why I am urging everyone to at least listen to what I have to say, look at and compare prepaid funeral plans before it’s too late. They are often much more affordable than you would think, and having something in place can make a truly difficult time just that much easier.