The cremation rate has risen rapidly over the last 20 years. And it’s expected to rise even more than it already has over the next 20 years. There are, no doubt, many reasons for this. But a big part of the reason for the sudden spike in the cremation rate is the fact that cremation services in Lock Haven, PA, and other parts of the country cost so much less than burial services. If you’re wondering why exactly that is, continue reading to find out why cremation services are so cheap compared to burial services.
Cremation services are easier to plan than burial services.
Did you know that the average family has to make well over 100 decisions when planning burial services? That is a lot of decisions to make, which is why it often takes a long time for burial services to come together. Planning a Lock Haven, PA cremation doesn’t call for a family to make anywhere near that number of decisions. As a result, they can work their way through the cremation planning process in less time than they would spend planning burial services. It’s the first thing that keeps the cost of cremation on the lower end of the spectrum.
They require fewer big-ticket items than burial services.
There are a handful of big-ticket items that you’re going to need to purchase when burying a loved one. For example, you’ll need to get your hands on a casket, a burial vault, and, of course, a burial plot. You won’t need to obtain any of these things when you cremate a loved one. In fact, the only item that you might have to buy is a cremation urn, and even that isn’t a necessity if you’re going to scatter a loved one’s remains. It’s another reason why the cost of cremation is so low.
They don’t usually call for the embalming process to play out.
When you’re going to bury a loved one, it’ll typically take at least a few days before you can do it. For this reason, you’ll want to have their body embalmed. Embalming a person’s body allows for it to last longer than it would otherwise. You can choose to embalm a loved one if you’re going to hold a viewing for them prior to their cremation. But many families choose not to put a loved one’s body through the embalming process prior to their cremations. It helps them cut back on their costs and makes paying for a cremation more manageable.
They provide families and funeral homes with more flexibility.
At the end of the day, the simple fact is that cremation services provide both families and funeral homes with more flexibility. They can hurry up and cremate a person right away, or they can take their time while doing it. They can also opt to hold a funeral for a loved one before their cremation or wait until after their cremation is done to plan something out. All of this flexibility leads to people spending less money on cremation in the long run.
Are you interested in finding out how much Lock Haven, PA cremations actually cost? You can get a better idea of what cremation services will cost you by speaking with someone from our funeral home. Give us a call today to have a discussion with one of our experienced funeral directors.