Rackets and businesses who have them

[eviltammy]

[Sigh}

Did the shopping around for markers for club guy for AC's grave. Like I said before, they raised over $500. It's going to cost close to $1000. For the cheapest thing I can get.

Had thought that family might could have made up the difference- ten from here, twenty from there. But another 500? No way.

$974.68 for a bronze marker set over cement with no vase. If we get the marker from the funeral place (which owns the cemetery), this price includes the fee to install the marker. If we get it from somewhere else, we have to also have $300 or so for the installation fee.

If we could do just granite, it would be a lot cheaper. But AC's in the section of the cemetery where only bronze markers are allowed. A granite base, instead of cement, raises it $300. Adding a vase, on cement, adds $500! Five hundred! for a fricking vase!

The funeral itself was around $10,000 for a short graveside service. Not quite as bare bones as I thought it was going to be, but still a quick service at the grave. Apparently Other Cousin threw in a couple of things our Uncle wasn't expecting and wasn't thrilled about, so maybe some of her luster is diminished. :)

But it just makes me think about my funeral (hopefully way off in the future). The price I was quoted for the marker was good through the end of June - and then prices are going up. Since Mom died in 2006 and Uncle Jay in 2007, prices have already gone up $300-400 or more.

So if I don't want all the insurance money going for this, I need to pre-plan and pre-pay. [sigh] And currently, I'm not even sure my life insurance would pay for it all now, much less in the future when it'll be more expensive. I had thought of the "cremate me and toss the ashes in the ocean" kind of thing, but that freaked Mom out and she bought brother and I cemetery plots next to her and Dad. Which is good, because the plot fee isn't included in any of the amounts I've mentioned above :(

It's a racket, man.

Comments

[affinity8.livejournal.com]

Yes, it is totally a racket.

I plan on being cremated and throw the ashes into the ocean.

[kayra42.livejournal.com]

That is still a several thousand dollars expense. Seriously. To have mom cremated and buried (as was her wish, to be buried) was close to $5K

[otterevil.livejournal.com]

But that's still several thousand dollars less than a regular burial.

Also found out that I, cremated in urn, could be buried in with Mom or Dad. So say if brother did get married or, gods forbid, something happened to niece, I could give up my plot and be buried in with the parentals. There is (of course) another fee to reopen the grave ($500 or so) and my marker would be a footstone, instead of a headstone.

And if brother & I went in together to go ahead and get a marker and have our names & birthdates put on it and then one plot is needed by someone else, one of us could opt for the parental burial and the marker company would redo the marker free of charge (I think that's what she said).

Hmm, maybe I could put my plot up on Craigslist :)

[jeditigger.livejournal.com]

Having buried my mother and father and niece's husband, I can say that while I understand that mortuaries et al. do an important and necessary business, they (purposefully or no) take advantage of grieving people who simply do not think straight.

[rainbow.livejournal.com]

My grandparents thought it was a racket, too (and I agree). They made sure Mama A, my uncle, and I all knew that they wanted to be cremated and have their ashes scattered in the ocean.

Mama A had a Neptune Society membership for years before she got sick, and that prepaid everything unless we'd wanted a fancy urn (but given that she wanted her ashes scattered at Mt. Shasta an urn would have been silly).

I'd like to be buried here at home, but P doesn't think he'll keep the place after I'm gone, so...

[kayra42.livejournal.com]

Oh hell yeah, it's the biggest racket I've ever seen. When my mom died, the plan had always been the traditional burial next to my dad. Luckily they had purchased the plots and vaults some 30 years ago.

We were at the funeral home, picked out what looked to be a reasonable casket and politely declined a lot of the "extras" they wanted to sell us. With the funeral home cost added to the cemetery costs, it was nearly $10K. Oh and no burial without full payment up front. I lost it and almost went into hysterics. The Bro-in-law picked up all the paperwork and said we'd be back the next day. He went through everything, we decided on cremation (as long as she was next to daddy, she wouldn't care) and he worked it all down to a much more reasonable cost. More than half of the original estimate. They were actually impressed that we didn't just nod and sign checks, regardless of the cost. Heck, mom would haunt me if I did that! But I think they know exactly what they are doing, taking advantage of the families when they can least realize. :(

I told my sister (who wants to be cremated) I was going to put her in a rubbermaid container or better, a cereal box and put her in the cabinet. BWAHA!

There is are organizations that assist in funeral planning and prepayment. You lock in today's prices so in 20 or so years, everything is paid for.

oops, sorry for the long reply. Something of a hot button for me. :(