Planning our own funeral

I wouldn't pay into a funeral plan but you could open a savings account just for your funeral. Some of the banks have regular savings accounts which pay more interest if you are prepared to "lock it away" for a certain number of years. I remember reading in a financial paper a little while ago that these funeral plans are not good value for money.

Not morbid at all, merely being practical. I have made a will setting out my wishes and even a guideline for my funeral service, I have also signed a Power of Attorney just in case I lose my marbles - which on current form should be some time next week

Interesting Kiora, DH and I have been thinking about a funeral plan for similar reasons to you but would need an international one and there don't seem to be any that we can find.

My in laws used an international scheme when they emigrated many years ago. When his wife died my brother in law found it made everything so much easier and he didn't have to pay out a much larger sum than the original from his pension.

Kiora glad you have brought this topic up (think it may have been discussed at some time but a while ago, not sure what the thread was called now) but after having been to 3 funerals of my friends in the last 4 months, I was thinking the other day that I must organise my paperwork /files etc...my friends we 70/64/74 I am 58 and they all died from various illnesses, we used to laugh at my mum (we still do) as she labels everything! lol but!! she says "well everyone knows where things are and what they are) I don't mean she labels cupboards and doors etc but boxes with personal stuff in.. I know she has a "brief case" with "everything" !! in she keeps mentioning this "briefcase" although I have never seen it but I do know it exists and apparently "everything" is in it"! so she is quite organised I think!" my mum n dad are 78 and yesterday took them selves off to London to see Billy Elliot and have today gone to Covent garden..so I hope I wont be needing to look inside the "briefcase" for quite some time but they have sorted "things our and I think have a funeral plan. which is what I meant to say at the start [smiule]

My mother and one of my aunts made funeral plans, paying for the entire process – coffins, hearses, family cars, undertakers' fees etc. – at the price charged at the time they took out the plans. Some 20 or 30 years later when the funerals took place, they would of course, have cost considerably more. However, the most important thing was that I didn't have to make any decisions about burial or cremation, elm or oak, three cars or four. There is enough to cope with at a time of terrible grief without these sorts of things as well. You can, of course, still choose the music you want played, the flowers (or not) that you would like, the tea and sandwiches or full-blown wake and so on.

My Dad opened a joint account with my brother many years ago and put some of his money in it to pay for his funeral. It was a godsend when he died last year, as the money was there and my brother could sign cheques on the account to cover the funeral and ongoing costs on Dad's home.

Of course this assumes that the parent has sufficient money - I just pass this on as something that we all found very useful.

Not morbid at all. But I would not wish to plan for an expensive or fussy funeral. The reason I'd like to plan my own is to ensure as little money is spent as poss- and as little fuss made. Sadly cardboard coffins are not allowed where I live- but I can pre-order a very simple local spruce one, without lacker and without silks and frills and fancy handles.

Personally I think the massive sums spent on funerals are just obscene and so un-necessary- but the hard sell, push push ' surely you want the best for your dear Mum ' is very prevalent with undertakers- as many friends have found. Funeral plans are actually very expensive- OH or kids will just have to pay out of succession and it won't be much.

I'd like to leave my body for medical research - I don't believe in an afterlife. Not sure how to go about it, anyone else there looking to do the same thing?

Goose I've made enquiries about this. I contacted the university in my nearest city. I can't recall all the details but they did say that distance from the university was one of the criteria. My present location is fine as long as I'm not too far from home when I die!

I'm still thinking about it. I knew someone who, during her time as a medical student, was extremely distressed to think that anyone known to her would donate their body even although they would be benefitting other students.

I have an insurance policy set up to pay towards my funeral and I keep telling the family that I have a tentative wish. I would really like my coffin drawn through the centre of town with a jazz band playing. Apart from being a jazz lover I want people to look and think 'that must be a very important person'

If you become an organ donor (you can do it online), can you not say that any part of your body can be used for someone else or for medical research?

You sure they wouldn't just think, "another weirdo who can't do anything quietly", LizG?

All my family know, as cheap as possible and if anything can be used, take it!

ive paid for a funeral plan through age uk and ive written a list of things to do for my son after i die...

when my husband died suddenly i didnt know where to start and i dont want my son to go through all that....

Goose My OH and I are doing the same thing and it is very common according to the people we spoke to,we have the forms signed and they have been registered.All we both want after that is a short & sweet memorial service at our local Church & then drinks at our local pub.

I think the bes thing is to have an insurance that can be cashed in when you die as this will pay for funeral costs

My mum and dad paid for their funerals years before they died, and it was so nice not to have yet another thing to sort out.

I would like to do the same, and I probably will in a couple of years, but if I die before, my kids know not to spend a penny more than is necessary.

Thanks all interesting replies but I'm not really any wiser. As absent says you pay now and that's that. If I use a savings plan then taking into account inflation there may not be enough to cover it. The reason I'm asking is because my fathers funeral was a complete disaster. I didn't know funerals could go wrong but believe me they can. The fall out was painful for us all. It's led to a family rift that may never be healed. All very sad. That's when I realised that funerals are not really for the dead. They are for the living to help them grieve and move forward. You know what writing this has made me realise what I want. I going for the plan even if it does end up costing more at least I will have done the organising. There will be no ill feelings of " mum said this,no she told me that" decision made. One last thing who with any recommendations?

Kiora, when I was arranging my sister's funeral last year, I used a small local company that was excellent. However two different people told me they had a plan ' with the co-op' and recommended them.

Thanks dustyangel that's made my mind up

Can you use your co-op Rewards card?

That's a point! Does Tesco do funerals?

Ancient Uncle (still in a care home) has a fully paid funeral plan with the Co-op. This idea was recommended by his Social Worker in order to bring his just over, savings to just below the limit. As I had at that time shared access to his Post Office Account so that I could pay his care home fees, I withdrew the money £500 at a time and put it into my own account until there was enough to issue my cheques to the Co-op.

And YES Jingle to my complete surprise, a few months later, I got over £50 in 'divvi' from the Co-op

This has inspired me. I'm going to arrange my own funeral. The ultimate control