Someone whom you loved passed away and you are responsible for taking care of their remains. While burial is still a very popular option, direct cremation is one of the quickest and least expensive. This makes it useful if you don't have a lot of time to make arrangements or if money is tight in your family.

The Average Cost Of Cremation

Typically, a direct cremation costs about $1,100 for the cremation and the cremation urn. However, that doesn't cover any type of "mourning" costs you may want to include. Mourning costs including renting a church or holding a funeral, which add to the cost.

Still, compare this price with the estimated $7,000-$10,000 cost of a typical traditional burial to see how you can save money on your funeral services. While you should never cremate someone against their wishes, it's worth considering.

The Direct Cremation Process

Should you choose direct cremation, the body will be taken directly to the crematory without a stop at a funeral home or any type of showing or visitation ceremony. Embalming and makeup applications are also unnecessary, as is buying a casket.

Once in the crematory, the body will be cremated and the remains given to you within a few hours. After getting the remains, you can decide if you want to hold a mourning ceremony for the loved one or if you'll hold a private gathering at a home of a loved one, rather than renting a church or hall.

You Can Disperse The Remains Immediately

The quick speed of direct cremations means that you can get your ashes in a matter of hours after your loved one has passed away. This gives you extra time to decide what you want to do with the remains. Some people keep them as a memento while others scatter them.

Remains dispersal should be respectful and follow with the wishes or personality of the person who was cremated. For example, if your deceased loved one was a big fisherman, you could disperse of them in their favorite lake.

However, you could also spread the ashes on their favorite flowers (to help them become part of their garden) or even divide the ashes up into smaller containers for multiple friends and family of the deceased.

Direct cremation is a great option if you want to save money on a funeral and need to get the remains as quickly as possible. So talk to your funeral expert to make the right decision for your needs.

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