I think it's a great idea. Any suggestions on reputable companies to use?

Although we're not quite at the burial part, we have purchased headstone markers. Our goal is to make it easier on our children.

Ohiobuckeye
 

My wife & I really don’t want to be cremated. We’re both more interested in being buried in our home state of Ohio but we live in Texas. I know it’s expensive to ship a body that far but does anybody have any idea if this makes sense or is there a cheap way to ship a body? What a creepy thought!

cremation
 

My wife and I used All Faiths Cremation Society on 466.
When she died, they took care of everything, and all I had to do was pick up her ashes, and take them to the National Cemetery in Bushnell. Since I am a veteran her ashes and mine can be placed in a columbarium there for no cost. Her ashes are there with my name and hers engraved on the door.

A will won't be read until long after you are dead and probate could take years.
Tell whoever is going to handle it what you want to happen, setup up a checking account and name that person POD (payable on Death). That way they know what you want AND have the money to do it.

$850 the total cost for Baldwin.
 

Was $850 the total cost for services at Baldwin? At another crematorium we used recently for my brother, the cremation was $950 but then there was another $1100 in other fees such as refrigeration of the body, transport of the body to the funeral home and then to the crematorium, the container, death certificate.

Pre-arranging and pre-paying are two different things. I pre-arranged my mother's funeral and had a detailed written contract with the funeral home in place and ready to initiate it when she died. But, that is not what the free dinners are about. They want to get your money in advance because they make a huge profit on a pre-paid funeral or cremation. They actually try to convince you that you will be saving money by paying in advance, which is totally false. Why not just arrange the funeral agreement, and allow your survivors to initiate it when you die? And, with a cremation, there is really not much to "arrange". You pay a fee and they do the cremation. You can arrange it on the phone in about 10 minutes. No need to pay for it years in advance.

We just went through this as my father-in-law passed last week. My mother-in-law in 2017. I couldn't be more thankful to them for having everything set up for us. They purchased through National Cremation Society in 1997 when they lived in Florida. Yes, they lost interest on the money, but they also paid a lot less at that time. We made one call. They are nationwide and we are now in Georgia. They located the closet crematory we had to do nothing. They came out at midnight. Very professional and caring. My in-laws also pre-purchased a niche in a cemetery in Florida. We again did not have to wonder what they wanted. We will take their urns to Florida and they will be placed together for eternity. At a time of so much sadness and emotion, this is the best gift they ever gave us.

:bigbow:

My mom, 95, still kicking physically, has donated her body to medical education, check to see if any of the medical schools have a donation program, and the body is returned cremated later for your decision.

When the body is released, they come and get it at no charge to you. .

Many years ago my will indicated (this is for real) that I was to be cremated and that my ashes be put into three urns each to be inscribed "One Good Urn Deserves Another".
I have always been into terrible puns.

At the request of my family that has been removed from later versions of the will!

Retiredguy - My experience was exactly the same. All arrangements (for any type of services) were made at the hospice facility. Total cost 4 years ago was well under $1000. We were relatively new to FL, and everything was taken care of according to our wishes.

Pre Arranged Burial
 

It was right for us.

Was the final item in our estate planning.

No bills for the heirs.

Expensive
 

I checked on this and it was very expensive bc you still have to use a funeral home. I contacted the Florida College here that is in the program and they said it does cost bc a funeral has to transport and other things. One funeral co was $1895.

My family lawyer, Amy Pittman, urged me to pre-arrange. My siblings, nephews, and financial advisor know about the arrangement. I went with Baldwin Brothers.