Paying for your funeral in advance, anyone know someone who has done it?

[lilibet]

My Mum is 77 and has a 'funeral account' some money in a bank account to pay for her funeral, and no matter how many times I tell her it doesn't matter and she should spend it as when the time comes I'm just going to stick her under a tree in the garden she refuses to touch it.

She needs a new boiler and won't go away this year as she can't afford to do both out of her pension, so I want her to pay for her funeral up front then the remaining money, (and there is more than enough in there) can be spent.

Our local undertaker does run a scheme but I wondered if anyone knew of anyone who had done it?

I have a great-aunt who has set one, though is some special "product" that she pays in installments. Have everything organised. Have spoke to the church to see if they agree with her being cremated (she is a mormon), she has arranged to be "transported" to her native city and to be placed on the side of her mother's tomb. She has also selected the readings for her own funeral and has asked my mother to be one of the readers. The main task for her is to get as much of the family "sealed" so we can reunite after life, eventhough she is the only mormon in the family. So I guess all this organisation that she has been carried on at the lenght of 15 years will one day pay off. However, none of us are sure that the funeral scheme is not a scam but if being in control make her happy so be it.

My mum has done this

Opted for the Traditional Cremation Plan.

Why dont you, get her to speak to the local Funeral Directors and find out how much it would cost today.

Then she could move that value to a seperate account and then suggest that once a year, she tops it up in line with inflation and then what is left is for her to enjoy.

My grandma died last October. She had a funeral plan with a local undertakers. It covered everything- service, limousine & hearse, crematorium fees & the undertakers costs. My mum was so relieved not to have to "arrange" anything. We just sorted out the date and time & the hymns & they did everything else.

She took the plan out about 20 years ago so I don't know how long they run for or cost or anything, but for the peace of mind for the family it was ideal.

my mum did it years ago - silly old bat never tells anone where any documents are so she will be sat in a freezer for a couple of weeks whilst i sort it out

They're great - but for goodness sake make sure that they will actually COVER the cost of the funeral - my gran died last year and had one of these plans that she'd had for years, unfortunately it turned out that it didn't cover teh full cost of all the expenses so my grandad still had to pay out nearly £1000 (fortunatley he's got lots of savings too but the fact is that 'shouldn't have happened)

My FIL had one, took it out when diagnosed with cancer & it took all the stress off DH. Even the coffin had been chosen (no embarrasing looking at prices etc) and the hymns,CD, no flower policy etc. The ONLY optional extra was newspaper adverts. We were so impressed MIL took one out straight away, and we will but when get to retirement age (no funds now).

must we? - its Friday night!

hehe Jools - people still die at the weekend you know

I might think about paying into one for me - have everything else "mapped" out and written down - ultra organised, me

well unless anyone on here is thinking of expiring over the keyboards I think I'll give this thread a miss and go and find some FUN threads

I'm stuck on what I'd like at my funeral, I know I want to be buried, not cremated, but have NO idea what music I want except I DON'T want

jerusalem, amazing grace, the lords my shepherd, the day thou gavest, the king of love,

I don't mine being paid silly money to play 2 or 3 of the above hymns at funerals but I'll 'turn in my grave' if they're played at mine

Me - cremated, NO hymns whatsoever, only people who actually KNOW me will pay Tribute and have music planned.

My friend reckons she makes "notes" during our phone calls/meet-ups so that she can recall things to say

Heard a wonderful programme on Radio 4 a couple of weeks ago about woodland burial. It totally decided me that I want that with a wicker coffin
look here You can listen to the whole programme again, I'd recommend it, it was great. Actually a very good series although I'm not mad about Dylan Winter.