For most of Americans, preplanning our funeral is the last thing on our minds. Many feel that they have plenty of time to worry about things of this nature, and one hopes that they are right. Regardless of whether you are young or old, preplanning your funeral can be one of the greatest gifts that you give your family.

Why Preplan?

There are two main reasons to preplan your funeral. These include saving your family money and saving your family time. Money can be one of the most difficult things a family faces when they go to make funeral arrangements. Funerals must occur within days of the death, thus they happen before any estates have been settled, assets distributed or life insurance paid. Even if the money is coming to them later on, family members may have to scrounge around to scrape up the funds to actually take care of your final expenses.

The second reason is perhaps the most important one: time. When a funeral is not preplanned, the family is running around for one to two days after the death making decisions on flowers, music, cremation, coffin types, urn types, and so forth. At no point during this process do family members get the time to grieve. There is no real family time. When the funeral is all over everyone must go back to where they came from and go on with life. Brothers and sisters, cousins and aunts do not have the time to remember their loved ones properly when they must worry about planning the funeral.

One final reason to preplan is the control that you have over your final arrangements. When you preplan your funeral, you are dictating whether you want cremated or buried, roses or carnations, and many other decisions that help express who you are. A preplanned funeral crafted by your hands can reaffirm to your loved ones who you were and how you lived your life.

Conclusion

Preplanning a funeral can be exhausting, depressing, and worrisome. But, it can also be your last moment of self expression. Regardless of your feelings about funeral preplanning, be assured that a prearranged funeral can make the most powerful impact on your family when they are faced with your death.