No Money for a Funeral?

Having no money for a funeral can seem like a huge scare. Not only is your loved one gone, you don’t have enough money to pay for the funeral.

If this is you, the first thing I want you to do is relax. Calm down. Breathe. There is absolutely no need to worry. Everything is going to work out.

Second, know that you are not the first person this has happened to. Death is not always something we’re expecting at the time it comes. We usually think we have another day, month, year to plan. It’s simply something we’re not in control of and many are left wondering how to bury someone with no money.

Here are some simple steps to take.

Steps to Take if You Have No Money for a Funeral

1 – Think about what kind of funeral service you want

Most people have only one version of a funeral in their mind. It doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, if we really think about it, we may not even desire the type of service we’re currently envisioning. Take some time to explore and think about the kind of service you’d prefer.

read related post:The pleasure of a Simple Funeral

2 – Determine the amount of money needed for the funeral

Once you’ve considered your options, you should have a better idea of how much money you’ll need. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t have to be thousands.

read related post: low cost funerals

My son’s funeral may have cost $1,500. That’s it. It was nice, as lovely as losing your twenty-one-year-old can be. We didn’t have a “cheap funeral” because we couldn’t afford an expensive one. We had an inexpensive funeral because it was the the funeral we wanted for our son, and it was the sweetest farewell.❤️

3 – Gather Funds

Allow friends and family to give. – So often, friends and family feel helpless after a loss. They shower the grieving family with gobs of food that goes uneaten. They simply don’t know what to do. Providing an avenue for which they can give can be quite helpful and comforting. It puts restless hands to work and helps mend broken hearts. Don’t be afraid to ask, or enlist a friend to head up a campaign.

Seek financial assistance. – Local churches and charitable organizations, as well as government grants are available for assistance. Some suit a particular demographic, like veterans, children who have passed, or individuals who have died from a particular illness. But, these funds do exist, and they are waiting to be found.

read related post: Charities that help with funeral costs

Take out a small loan. – I give this advice sparingly. If this is absolutely the route you want to take, it is certainly a possibility. If taken, I advise no more than a couple thousand dollars… max. A funeral is about remembering your loved one, not about spending money you don’t have. Your loved one loves you regardless.

4 – Create a Funeral Budget

Create a budget with the funds you have and/or foresee collecting from friends, families, charitable organizations, and other avenues. Don’t be persuaded to veer from the budget out of guilt.

Visitors are there to honor your loved one and say goodbye. They already love your loved one. You don’t have to “put on a show.”

read related post: how to create a funeral budget

Don’t feel pressured to prove your love or earn love that doesn’t need to be earned. Create your budget, stick to it, and savor the company of those who came to say goodbye.

5 – Send a Thank You

Don’t forget to say thank you. This is by far the most important part. People want to know that they helped in some way. In many ways, it’s their way of saying, “I love you.”

Provide them assurance that you heard their heart and you received their gift with a sense of thankfulness and love. This little thank you can live on in their hearts for years. It’s one of the small, little gifts that will be remembered.

Saying thank you doesn’t have to be expensive. No need to send an official card unless you desire to. A phone call is inexpensive yet rare. We’ve almost forgotten the art of conversation. Pick up the phone and say, “thank you.”

If a phone conversation sounds daunting, a text or email cost nothing. Finally, a hand written thank you card would also work beautifully.