The Do-It-Yourself Funeral - NYTimes.com

by By The New York Times

In a recent post on funeral expenses , reporter Sarah Arnquist noted that many families are choosing to bypass the funeral home altogether: “In all but six states, family members are not legally required to consult a funeral director at all. Home funerals are therefore a legal and less expensive — but nearly forgotten — option.” Several of you asked for more information .

Today The Times published an interesting article on the trend, “ Home Burials Offering an Intimate Alternative, at a Lower Cost .” The number of home funerals has soared, advocate (and coffin builder) Chuck Lakin told reporter Katie Zezima, putting them “where home births were 30 years ago.” Ms. Zezima adds:

The cost savings can be substantial, all the more important in an economic downturn. The average American funeral costs about $6,000 for the services of a funeral home, in addition to the costs of cremation or burial. A home funeral can be as inexpensive as the cost of pine for a coffin (for a backyard burial) or a few hundred dollars for cremation or several hundred dollars for cemetery costs.

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