Though today’s topic might sound like a slightly morbid one, it’s really more about a celebration of life than focusing on death. Once you hit a certain age and have finally paid off your major debts thanks to smart financial management throughout your life, you start thinking about the major costs that are left for you to cover in your lifetime. Some even think past that.
More and more funeral homes are offering people the opportunity to pre-plan their final wishes and handle the expenses while they are still alive. This is a very self-less gesture and will ensure that your savings will cover the costs when the time comes, your wishes are written out and understood, and that your family will not have to bear the weight of both the emotional and financial brunt of your passing away.
However, instead of treating it as a grim project, it’s a good idea to instead embrace this opportunity to make the most of those money management skills and smart planning that you have developed throughout your life. Here are some of the benefits you will gain from jumping the gun on this task and taking care of your own final arrangements.
- You Can Shop Around
Once someone passes away, the family of the deceased is sort of strapped for time in terms of putting all the final arrangements in place. That leaves neither time nor the right mindset in which to shop around for the best value and services available. If your wishes as of such, you can yourself compare and visit, in good time, every funeral home located in Montreal, providing funeral and cremation services for all beliefs. Get a feel of the atmosphere, inquire about their standard packages, and see what your additional personal preferences will cost in the facilities you enquire with.
- You Lock in the Price
Things haven’t changed that much in the last thousand years in terms of death. We are certain that it is coming, the only thing we don’t know is exactly when. However, the prices around funerals have changed substantially, rising to epic proportions. We can only assume that these services will continue to grow in expense, making saving for a future funeral difficult at best. Through pre-planning however, you essentially lock in the price as it stands today, regardless of when you actually end up using it.
- Benefit from a Financing Plan
If paying for everything at once is unrealistic, prearranging with certain funeral homes will allow you to break the cost into several payments which you will be able to complete over the span of months or years. This makes it manageable for nearly everyone, and will certainly give you more flexibility with your finances at this time than if you, or a family member, had to pay it all at once.
- Set a Good Example
Even if your children or younger family members haven’t exactly shared in your life decision to be fiscally responsible and live in a way that you are free from debt, this final act of yours might actually be the boost they needed to change their ways. It’s an example of thoughtfulness as well as financial responsibility and management, something that you started in your lifetime and continued emulating throughout. Think about the legacy you could leave.
Obviously, apart from the financial savviness you will exhibit by taking care of your own final arrangements in advance, you will also benefit from peace of mind for both yourself and your family members, as the plan will be clear to everyone. It leaves no room for difficult decision making or disputes between siblings, and finally providing everyone with the opportunity to say their last goodbyes with grace and feeling.
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