Cash-strapped families facing the death of a parent have in recent years increasingly been making funeral arrangements based on burial expenses rather than what their mother or father would have wanted. The choice frequently has been between going deeper into credit card debt or a less costly cremation – an option that might have been unthinkable while their parents were still alive.
That is why StoneMor Partners, a national cemetery company, has created this website: to provide a one-stop burial planning website service for those concerned about burdening survivors with burial expenses.
The Cost of Waiting to Make Arrangements
Waiting too long to make burial arrangements can mean huge financial consequences for survivors. Although some parents purchase their burial space ahead of time, they do not pre-purchase the casket, vault or grave marker.
In fact, StoneMor conducted a recent study in the 10-mile radius surrounding its headquarters that showed approximately 10% of area graves are unmarked. It is possible that this could in large part be attributed to the fact that many families could not afford to buy one at the time of death. And despite good intentions to purchase one at a later date, it continues to be cost prohibitive for many families.
StoneMor developed MemorialPlanning.com to navigate families through the burial pre-planning decisions so a family’s grief is not compounded by financial stress.
Burial Planning Now Reduces the Burden of Expenses Later
Like weddings, births and college, death is an expensive life-cycle event that requires financial planning. MemorialPlanning.com empowers you to control your burial costs and expenses by setting a budget and choosing your burial options offered by StoneMor’s nationwide network cemeteries.
Purchasing your plot, casket, vault and tombstone now will spare loved ones the expenses and also avoid overspending because of costly emotional-driven purchases made at the time of death. Additional savings are realized because the purchase is made at today’s prices not at the prices at the time of the death, as inflation doubles the cost of burial space and merchandise every 10 years.
Burial Options for Your Budget
MemorialPlanning.com allows you to choose a memorialization that fits your budget and style. Whether you prefer an in-ground burial, a mausoleum or a cremation, the website allows you to select from over 235 StoneMor cemeteries based on your preference for a flat marker or a raised monument, religious affiliation, landscaping design or a designated cremation garden.
MemorialPlanning.com also will guide you on how to share your selections with family to ensure your wishes are followed and your survivors are not financially burdened by burial expenses.