Be it you or a loved one who has reached the end of life, making the decision between burial and cremation can be a complex and ambiguous process. Both options have their own pros and cons, varying costs, and appeals to personal taste. This can make the choice that much harder. Here are some of the costs, differences, and more details of the two options to provide a bit of clarity in the consideration of the two.

Cremation:

So, what does the process of cremation entail? The most common and well-known cremation process is flame-based cremation. This involves heating a body until it is processed into “bone fragments or cremated remains.” This process is widely accessible through funeral homes in the United States. However, before this can happen, several preparatory steps must be taken.

Similarly to the burial process, after the deceased has been removed from the place of death and appropriately stored within a funeral home, loved ones have the option of viewing an embalmed body before cremation. In fact, despite common misconceptions, loved ones are still able to hold a funeral service for the deceased before the cremation process. Once the deceased is ready for cremation, the body is placed in a cremation container of choice, sealed, and heated. After the process is finished, the remaining material, cremated remains, can be placed in an urn and given to the appropriate recipient(s).

Burial:

The death-to-burial process begins with similar steps: the deceased will be transported from the place of death to a funeral home for proper storage. From there, the deceased would be prepared, including steps such as embalming, dressing, and general preservation until the deceased is ready for burial or viewing. Soon after, the funeral provider transports the body to the burial site.

Costs and Options:

Both of these options have various costs and options to consider. In cremation, one must select a cremation container. This can range from something frugal, such as a cardboard box, to something extravagant, like a decorative (combustible) casket. One must also consider how they would like to store the cremated remains.

Urns can usually cost anywhere from fifty to hundreds of dollars. One should consider any memorial items they would like made with the ashes: many funeral homes offer cremation keepsakes such as necklaces holding cremation remains, diamonds made from cremation remains, and other souvenirs. Also, it’s important to consider where one would like the remains stored.

Many people choose to keep remains in a family home within an urn; however, a tremendous long-term alternative is to place them in a mausoleum. This ensures that the remains will always have a maintainable place accessible for all loved ones to visit. Placement in a mausoleum for cremated remains costs about $750 to $2,800.

Burial will likely have more costs to consider. First there is the question of a casket. This cost is truly dependent on one’s own taste as materials can range from pine, to mahogany, to copper. Depending on the choice of material, casket prices tend to range through the thousands. One cost that can come as a surprise is that of a vault. A vault is a metal casing that surrounds the casket in the ground. This prevents the grave from collapsing or caving. Many cemeteries require the use of a vault as it ensures that grave sites remain intact. Vaults tend to cost $1,000 to $5,000 dollars.

Conclusion:

The cost of end-of-life preparations mainly relies on one’s preferences and choices. Cremation seems to be the lower-priced option, though the price is likely not the only factor in making this decision. It is essential to consider how you or your loved one would want to be memorialized and what would offer closure to family and friends.