Preplanning your funeral services can help alleviate the stress on your loved ones after your passing. Preplanning eliminates the burden of having to shoulder the financial costs and decision-making that is often left unresolved at the time of death. According to the funeral directors at Cornelius Dodd And Connell Inc. Funeral Home in Middletown, NY, these steps make planning your funeral easier.

3 Tips for Preplanning Your Funeral Services

1. Decide What You Want to Do With Your Remains

There are three options for your remains after death: burial, cremation, or donation. If you choose to be buried, you must purchase a burial plot or space in a mausoleum. If you opt for cremation, decide if you want your ashes buried, scattered, or given to family and friends. Lastly, if you want your body to be given to science or transferred to someone in need, you may consider donation. Whatever option you choose, let your family know and put it in your will for posterity.

2. Choose a Funeral Home & Director

Funeral directors can help you plan your funeral arrangements and guide you through the process. They can also assist you in purchasing the services you need. To help find a director, set up a meeting at a funeral home near you to talk over your options and facilitate a plan that meets your needs.

3. Determine How You Want to Pay for It

During the preplanning process, you can choose to pre-pay for the products and services that accompany the funeral — such as the ceremony, casket, urn, and plot. Paying for services in advance means that your family won’t incur any costs at the time of death; plus, these expenses can be deducted for tax purposes.

Although planning your own funeral may feel strange at first, it ultimately ensures your life is celebrated how you see fit and your family is taken care of during a time of grieving. If you’re thinking of preplanning your funeral service, speak with a team of directors to help streamline the process. For more information on funeral arrangements, or to find out more about the team at Cornelius Dodd And Connell Inc. Funeral Home, call (845)343-2142 or visit them online.