Expensive funerals are a thing of the past!

You are making it happen! Your 1Life Insurance policy can ensure you and your loved ones have a beautiful send-off without putting strain on the family finances, or leaving them in debt. We spoke to consumer expert and founder of 1 Stockpile 1 Family, Ncumisa Fandesi Ndelu, about the importance of affordable funerals and how South Africans can save money when planning funerals.

Are expensive funerals worth it?

You want to honour and remember your loved ones with a beautiful send-off that is affordable and meaningful. But you need to commit to staying within your budget because funeral costs can quickly spiral out of control.

A modest, respectable funeral with a municipal burial plot and close family only in attendance will cost around R30 000 to R50 000. Add in extras such as a burial plot in a private memorial park, expensive transport like limousines, multiple courses of food, alcohol, or designer outfits for the family and the funeral costs can soar above R70 000 often R100 000. The expenses don’t end there. After tears and headstones can easily cost over R10 000. Remember Joe Mafela’s headstone at a reported cost of between R100 000 and R300 000?

Lavish funerals leave a lasting legacy of debt if the costs are not within your budget. Families can take years to pay off these debts! While it is essential to honour your loved ones with a respectable service, if it leaves them indebted and struggling to pay other bills such as school fees, it will put an end to their generational wealth building plans.

Consumer expert Ncumisa Fandesi Ndelu says that it is critical to only spend what you have on a funeral instead of going into debt. “We all need to ask if a lavish funeral is really worth it. As a society, we need to revisit the true purpose of funerals and question why they have almost become something of a circus. In some rural areas, traditional leaders have banned a lot of the unnecessary events and extras, and it may be time we all followed their lead.”

Where and how can you save on funeral costs?

Funeral costs are made up of many items, and there are ways to save on most of them, while still showing respect. You can also cut the items and costs that are not necessary. 

Big budget items you can save on include gathering costs (food, drinks and transport). You can also save by opting for a plot in a municipal cemetery and an inexpensive coffin.

Ncumisa says you can save money by not buying new and expensive designer outfits for the service, ensuring the gathering is short and not serving expensive food. She is also wary of after tears, which can add thousands to the bill.

“A funeral must also have a seasonal starting and finishing time, such as 10am to 2pm. I will never understand funerals that drag on the whole day. The so called “after tears” is a hard no for me. I could never be able to justify the expense and I don’t understand the reasons for it. It can also be disrespectful to the deceased if attendees drink too much.”

Another good way to save is to check and use all the benefits your funeral policy offers, such as repatriation benefits, memorial headstone and grocery benefits. These can help with the costs and also be a guide on how much to spend, such as putting a cap on expenses at the amount of the benefit.

Top tip: Go through each funeral expense and find ways to save, such as opting for a mid-range coffin and affordable menu. You can find more details on the costs of individual items in our blog on funeral expenses.

1Life Funeral Cover offers a number of free benefits to ease your financial burden. Policies include a R5 000 headstone benefit & repatriation service for all policy members plus a R6 000 grocery benefit should the main member pass.

Get the whole family on board

Staying within a funeral budget is easier said than done, even if affordable and frugal are on trend!

The best way to avoid a situation where your funeral expenses bankrupt you is to tackle the problem before it arises.

“Be prepared,” says Ncumisa.

1. Have conversations with your family – now - so you can agree on what you want at a funeral, such as an inexpensive casket, coffin and food.
2. Agree on how much you have to spend in total and commit to spending only that, cutting down on expenses and/or cutting out!
3. Agree to avoid expenses that you and your family just cannot afford. Emphasise that you want your legacy to be one of generational wealth, not generational debt!

Ncumisa says you also need to do this well in advance, don’t wait until there is a death and people are grieving.

“It’s very difficult to have a conversation when everyone is emotional. The best thing to do is for each family to talk about funerals and agree in advance on what is acceptable for them and what’s not,” she says. “From the length of the programme to the food, to what happens after the funeral.  Religious and traditional leaders can play a huge role in guiding communities on what is necessary and what is not.”

To help stick to budgets and guidelines, you can also appoint one or two family members to take charge when funeral arrangements need to be made. They can explain to friends and family what the service will include and ensure the undertakers and other service providers know what the budget is and stick to it.

Make it memorable but affordable

Special events and budgets often clash with budgets blown when the desire to make an event memorable takes over. When you are discussing expectations and costs, think of ways to make the service and memorial meaningful that won’t break the budget. This can be a loved one sharing a family tribute, or memory, or treasured photo at the service. Personal tributes always make an impact and don’t cost anything. You can also select one food item (one only and within budget) that the deceased loved and serve that at the gathering. Finally, enlist the help and advice of a trusted partner such as a pastor to help your family through the process and suggest ways to save money!

Talk with your loved ones today

Avoiding a lavish funeral and unplanned expenses involves talking about two uncomfortable subjects - debt and death! When these are part of everyday conversations it will become easier to keep funeral expenses within budgets. Start today and share stories and expectations of funerals with your loved ones. This will help you celebrate their life and honour their memory, and give them the beautiful send-off they deserve.