Any experience with pre-paid cremation?

[wanderin.pat]

Hi, long time since I visited.  

I was wondering if anyone here has had any experience with pre-paid cremation?  I have no life insurance, and want no burden placed on my family.
I would prefer to "return to the dust from whence I came".  

Although I haven't been traveling lately as much as I have in the past, it is still hard to predict which city or state I will be in when I reach the end of the road.   I CAN say that it will be most likely in either AZ, NM, CO when that occurs.  

It seems that in the past I had seen info about paying a "cremation service" that could be used in different locations.  I have not been able to find that info anywhere lately. 

Thanks in advance for any help

Pat

 

[abnorm]

Neptune Society

 

[maki2]

One thing for sure, no one who has gone into one of them is going to post a reply.

 

[wanderin.pat]

Well, gol durn, you got a point there!!! 

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Brought back memories of my school years: The Cremation of Sam McGee by Robert W. Service

There are strange things done in the midnight sun
      By the men who moil for gold;
The Arctic trails have their secret tales
      That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,
      But the queerest they ever did see
Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge
      I cremated Sam McGee.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I have left instructions in my will (you do have one, don't you?) to be cremated.
It is also stated in my Power of Attorney and my Medical Power of Attorney.

 

[treesprite]

Donate you're corpse for science and education. They will take care of you, you don't have to pay a cent to dispose of remains. Donating organs doesn't always allow for the free disposal, and I don't think corpses get sent on to medical schools after organ donation, so there is that issue, of not being able to give longer life to another person just to get the free disposal.

Some people don't get that a body is just physical material, that will go back into mature in some way if not stuck in an airtight non-biodegradable box in the ground. If someone is going to be buried and wants to be returned to the earth, they should request an unvarnished pine coffin.

 

[Tony's Dream]

Spaceman.......did you know that in most states the power of attorneys ends on the day of your death?

We looked into such plans and burial insurance, but unfortunately both turn out to not be financially viable unless you die soon. That is the case with almost all insurance plans, they favor the insurance company more than the insured. We went with depositing the funds in a CD and mentioned it in our wills. We went to several funeral homes and found out what it would cost, in our area it's about $6,000. We opened the CD with $8,000 and will watch the costs and add to it as necessary.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Spaceman.......did you know that in most states the power of attorneys ends on the day of your death?

I know.  I mentioned it because I made my desires known (in writing) in these documents because they are most likely active just before death.  My sisters (whom I trust) know my wishes.  And besides, at that point I'm beyond caring.

I'm an organ donor, but at 71 I don't think my organs would be very useful.

 

[crofter]

...Some people don't get that a body is just physical material, that will go back into mature in some way if not stuck in an airtight non-biodegradable box in the ground. If someone is going to be buried and wants to be returned to the earth, they should request an unvarnished pine coffin.

I have a friend who is doing natural. I think cremation would be less smelly for your relatives though. Link to state codes.
-crofter
https://coeio.com/burial-laws-state/

 

[Dingfelder]

I have dealt with Neptune Society a few times. They are extremely cooperative and will get things going once the body is transferred to a funeral home. You have to do virtually nothing after that, and they will get you whatever number of death certificates you need after that without charging you a big premium for them, as some places do.

You pay a price, you choose your method of burial/cremation/whatever, and get a card with their number on it. Give a copy to your attorney, or family members, whatever, if such you might have. If you are a guardian, you will have to send in papers attesting to same.

Eventually the person who should have the death certificate gets it, Social Security gets notified, and things are wrapped up without contestation or even ability to contest from your family or friends. Your decision is final.

Not expensive, relatively speaking, either.

 

[wanderin.pat]

I actually talked to a representative of Neptune Society before I posted this.  The rep I talked to said that they couldn't help me based on the zip code I provided.  I tried to get him to understand that I am somewhat mobile.  Based on Dingfelder's input, I should try again.  

Thanks again,

Pat

 

[gsfish]

What ever you do Pat, please read the fine print carefully, I'd hate for you to get burned.

Sorry, I couldn't stop me.

As to costs someone said $6,000 but no details on what that covered. I recently was responsible for a 'simple' cremation (no ceremony/NW Florida) that ran a little under $1,000. That included transportation from the hospital.

Guy

 

[wanderin.pat]

What ever you do Pat, please read the fine print carefully, I'd hate for you to get burned.

Sorry, I couldn't stop me.

 lmfao

 

[bullfrog]

In Eastern Kentucky a couple years ago the ones I called cost between $2,800 to $3,800 for simple ones. You could spend up to almost $8,000 with fancy containers and a grave side service.

 

[shadowmoss]

I can pm you a funeral home that my parents use(d) that is approximately $2,500 in MO. We have already bought our plots in a small cemetery there. One call and everything is taken care of, with a box of the ashes buried in our plot whenever we can get to MO for the service. Dad was in TN when he died. Mom is out here in AZ now, and who knows where I'll be. They handle the details.

 

[gsfish]

As an example, here is a link to the people I worked with. I was very pleased with the treatment that I received. Very professional and no pressure to upgrade to something more expensive. My mothers ashes were scattered into the Gulf of Mexico on her birthday.

https://www.family-funeral.com/cremation-pricing.html

Guy

 

[Camper]

I have no experience with it yet. Hope I don't need it for a long while.

 

[bullfrog]

I told my wife if I die just head the camper for Pensacola then she can start saving for one of those diamond rings they can make out of your ashes! Lol!!!

 

[Ticklebellly]

There are more envirosafe methods available now. One is to freeze with liquid nitrogen and drop on a concrete floor. The bits are sweept up and buried in an untreated wooden box.

Second new one I read about is to immerse the body in a particular liquid. Only takes days to Liquefy the remains before the container contents is used as fertiliser in a plantation forest.

To answer the original question, my research into pre-paid disposal arrangements only seem to be value for money if you intend to kick off soon. And you still need a living person to trigger action by the funeral home where you have made arrangements.