Losing a family member or loved one is never easy. The high cost of cremations and burials in cemeteries in Charlotte, NC and the rest of the country often compounds the stress and pain of a death. Luckily, there are ways you can still have a personalized and special service without spending too much money on cemeteries, burials, and cremations.

Even simple burials in cemeteries can be expensive, not including the costs of services and other products. There is no shame in looking for help with paying for or lowering the cost of cemeteries and cremations, such as preplanning. Check the deceased’s papers and information to see if they made any plans to help pay for their cremation. They might have put in place things such as prepaying programs, funeral insurance, life insurance, and payable-on-death bank accounts.

You can also try fund raising. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your community, neighborhood, friends or other family. You’d be surprised how quickly people will chip in. If you choose to fund raise, social media is also a great tool to make your need known and get more people involved. Don’t be afraid to share any fund raising or write posts about your need.

Get creative with fund raising like:

• Car washes or bake sales
• Church groups or donations
• Memorial funds at the deceased’s workplace or bank
• Crowd funding websites like GoFundMe.com or GiveForward.com

Local, state and even federal government programs can help pay for funerals, burials, and cremations. Check with your local social service, county treasurer, or public fiduciary to see if any systems are in place. These programs have varying requirements, especially since local government budgets are tight, and they are making such programs more difficult to qualify for. Be sure to double check that you are eligible. The Social Security Administration can also provide assistance. Call to report a death and you may be eligible for a lump sum of $225 or other survivor benefits. Other federal programs that can help are Medicare, Medicaid and the Veteran’s Administration, The Bureau of Indian Affairs, and The Railroad Retirement Board.

If you still can’t get enough funding, there are tons of low-cost burial, cremation, funeral and cemetery options you can choose from, including hosting the memorial service at home, the community center, church or other religious establishment, bringing pot-luck food for the service, choosing body donation to a medical school or other organization (Science Care is the world’s largest body donor program), direct cremations, or burying the cremains on family land or a family plot.

If you need more information on any of these tips or would like to learn more about Charlotte, NC cemeteries, Gethsemane Cemetery and Memorial Garden is here to help. We strive to offer well-priced and expert services to make a time of loss easier and less stressful. Please pay us a visit or give us a call to learn more about what we can do for you in your time of loss.