Losing a loved one is a painful experience for anyone to go through, and struggling to pay for a good funeral can add stress and misery to an already difficult time. If you're planning and paying funeral expenses for a loved one, it's important to know how you can reduce costs and make the whole process a little easier for your budget to handle.

Review The GPL

Every funeral home is required by law to present you with a GPL, or "General Price List," before you even begin to talk about funeral services. This list, typically in the format of a catalog or brochure, is yours to take home and review. 

Before you get into talks with your funeral director, take home the GPL and pick out exactly which options you want for your loved one's service. Just like you'd take a list to the supermarket to cut down on impulse buying, so too should you plan out your purchases at the funeral home. Once you have a list of your chosen options, it's easier for you to discuss them with funeral directors without getting sidetracked.

Opt For Cremation

Cremation is an excellent way to lower funeral costs because it eliminates many services from the total price. Embalming and make-up for the deceased are both unnecessary when you choose cremation. While a decorative urn to hold the ashes may cost you tens of dollars, a good casket can sometimes cost thousands. You can even skip the burial - and its associated costs - altogether if you decide to keep the ashes.

Depending on which options you pick, cremating your loved one instead of going for a traditional burial may help you save over $2,500.

Skip Embalming For Quick Funerals

Even if you don't opt to have your loved one cremated, you can cut costs slightly by holding the funeral within 48 hours and choosing to forego having the body embalmed. While embalming might seem like a required part of the funeral process, it is only legally mandated in the state of Montana, and then only for open-casket funerals.

Traditionally, embalming served to allow distant family members more time to come and pay their final respects before a funeral. However, in many cases today, this extra time is unnecessary. People can hop on a plane or drive halfway across the country and be on time for a funeral service the very next day. Unless you really need the extra time, moving the funeral date closer can save you anywhere from $495 to $1290 on embalming costs.

Lowering costs shouldn't mean lowering the quality of your loved one's funeral. As long as you review your options carefully, you may be able to give them the dignified send-off they deserve without putting yourself in debt.