How Much Does a Funeral Cost?

I was shocked to learn that most funeral homes are owned by handful of corporations. It seems that's happened in every industry and line of business, so I don't know why I was surprised. I just figured that some things might have managed to remain sacred. I was wrong.

Privately-owned funeral homes are getting bought out left and right. Like how Walmart picked off the Mom and Pops and Amazon picked off everyone else.

With these corporate-owned guys, your body will have at least eight touch points: the pick-up people, casket/urn people, flowers people, makeup people, service people, etc. And they all have quotas. Like car salesmen, but for dead people.

You’ll sit down and they have you imagine the greatest sendoff you could give your mom, and by the time you're done in imaginary land you've created a $50,000 funeral. So you start to scale back, but with guilt, because you imagined a Rolls-Royce but realistically you have the budget for a gently-used Buick. It's awful because you're also in deep grief.

This is a major purchase and a very big decision. You wouldn't purchase a car or house in this emotional state. But here, you’re supposed to. If you decide to go this route, I think it’s smart to bring someone along who is unattached, and can keep you grounded.

Doulas can guide you through this part, but we aren’t licensed funeral directors, and we aren’t morticians. We can listen to what you want, and point you to the right people to make that happen.

You know what though? It's also not a race. The person has already died. You can slow down. You can take your time. Doulas can help with this part, too. It helps if these things have been thought out before, but most times they haven't. That's okay.

There are so many options when it comes to body disposition (what to do with the body), casket/urn/container, body/organ donation, service/celebration of life/party. And none of it needs to break the bank to be beautiful.

As of 2024 in Austin a direct cremation can be anywhere from $595-$4210, depending on which funeral home you use. In the end, you still receive ashes.

I continue to educate myself in this area to be as helpful as I can to any person facing the end of their life or any family or friends who are navigating the aftermath. If I don't know the answer to a question, I will find it. There are funeral homes and morticians I can personally vouch for in Central Texas. We don't pay each other referral fees—it comes from a pure place of only wishing to deal with the most ethical people in this business.

Ask me questions, y'all. What do you want to know more about? If you've been in the position of handling the affairs of someone you loved, who died, what do you wish you had known?