Direct Cremation: Advantages and Disadvantages

Direct Cremation Advantages

Direct cremation offers an affordable alternative to traditional body burial.

While direct cremation can significantly reduce funeral home costs, you can reap additional financial benefits from the cemetery and headstone dealer. If you choose not to bury the cremated remains - and many people do not - you can eliminate many items that make the traditional funeral so expensive.

Here is a list of costs you can eliminate by choosing direct cremation:

expensive casket

embalming

funeral home staff and facilities charge

cosmetic and hair dressing charges

funeral chapel or church fees

viewing or visitation charges

transportation fees (hearse, flower car, utility vehicle, etc.)

burial plot or mausoleum crypt

vault or grave liner

grave opening and closing costs

headstone or grave marker

But price is not the only advantage in choosing direct cremation. Many people prefer cremation because the cremains (i.e. ashes) are portable. This allows families to take remains with them when they move. Many people also feel that choosing cremation over body burial is friendlier to the environment because no land is disturbed.

Direct cremation is also simpler and more expedient. The entire affair usually takes place in just two or three days; furthermore, direct cremation requires less time commitment from the family. This can be especially important if surviving family members are ill, disabled, or live far away.

Cremation also offers a wide range of disposition options. While most families decide to keep remains at home, other options exist.

Direct Cremation Disadvantages

While direct cremation offers many advantages, you also need to consider its potential disadvantages before finalizing your plans.

Because many families find comfort in holding a traditional funeral service, a simpler direct cremation may not be therapeutic enough to satisfy surviving family members.

In addition, direct cremation does not allow the family to celebrate the decedent's life, nor does it give friends an opportunity to say goodbye.

And because the funeral home makes less money when providing direct cremation services, funeral home employees may try harder to sell you extras.

Lastly, even though you may not have to buy a grave site or headstone, you will incur an additional expense if you decide to purchase an urn.

If you would like to save money the next time you need to make funeral arrangements, you can search and compare local funeral home pricing at Parting.com.