I'm Building My Own Casket

But not anytime soon. I got to thinking lately about the high price of funerals in the U.S. and the HUGE markup between materials and service to final product (funeral & burial).

The scam is unavoidable for several reasons-

* We're all gonna die!

*Funeral home directors take advantage of your family's weakest moment.

*You feel guilty if your loved one doesn't have the absolute best you can afford.

The average funeral in the United States costs $6,500, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. The true sum can easily reach $10,000 once a burial plot, flowers and other costs are included, the AARPsays. You needn't go into debt in order to honor the dead, however. In many parts of the country, a loved one can be laid to rest with dignity for less than $800, by choosing cremation and using creativity. Even those who favor a traditional funeral and burial can save hundreds or thousands of dollars by taking a few simple steps.

MSN article

Obviously, cremation is the way to go! But, if you just have to be buried in a casket, I pose a question-

Why couldn't I just build my own? I could save THOUSANDS of dollars for my loved ones.

Of course, if I didn't have the forsight (or time:lol) would it be wrong for my family to shop around for a much better deal?
Discount Caskets
Costco Caskets!
Walmart Caskets!!!!!

Why is this subject so taboo?

According to Federal Law YOU DON'T HAVE TO BUY THE CASKET FROM THE FUNERAL HOME!

Just thought I would share this as I don't think it is given much thought in weak moments...


[edit on 17-12-2009 by Signals]

You have no idea how acquainted I am with funeral costs. Anyway, I agree with you. Build your own casket. Have a family member with a pickup truck take you to the cemetery. The costs of these funerals are out of control.

My father has built many caskets for friends and family members. It cost less than $100.00 and they are very nice. My mother designs the inside of the casket.

This is not something they do for a living, but as a gift to the departed.

On a morbid note. My father is tall(7foot) so he has already made his own casket just so he knows he has one that didn't cost an arm and a leg.



My personal thoughts on my burial. I want to be put in the compost pile and then use to plant a government garden. So TPTB can eat me!!!!

[edit on 17-12-2009 by freedomataprice]

They sell bargain basement caskets at Walmart (seriously). There are laws in certain areas of the US about what kind of casket you get buried in, something about its strength. So if you build your own, you'll have to make sure its real sturdy, depending on where you live. Me personally, I don't care what kind of funeral I have, or if I get buried in a refrigerator box. Cause, you know, youre dead.

I have already said to my family with the utmost sincerity that if I happen to drop down dead then they are to do with me whatever they feel appropriate, burning, feeding to dogs (on condition my dog gets the best cuts), dumping at sea, donating to science.

I am not concerned because like a car once it is unserviceable I have no sentimental attachment to it whatsoever. This has caused some annoyance to my oldest because she said she would like to be able to visit where I lie. I on the other hand would prefer her to be able to visit me in her mind not reconcile my presence to a spot in the earth surrounded by hundreds of other “decayers”.

As long as they plant a tree in the garden for my all to remember me by I will be happy (my youngests idea).


[edit on 17-12-2009 by SmokeJaguar67]

How creepy.

But seriously, I read in a magazine a while back about this average joe who's father died and he did all of the work and even built the casket himself.

He saved a bunch of money I guess. I could never do it, but to each his own...

Sure. I think it's great when people take the initiative to create something instead of purchasing something. Before mass commercialization, things were home made and people were self sufficient. So go for it. Just make sure it's up to government regulations.

And let me be clear, I am not a snob but if my family buried me in a Wal-Mart casket, I'd haunt them and make the walls ooze blood.

I already have to live in the profane Wal-Mart culture. Please don't make me be buried in it as well. Craftsmanship is dying and cheap, mass produced slave labor items from the assembly line sweat shops are taking over. Anything to fight that is good in my book.

Originally posted by Signals

I'm Building My Own Casket

And I'm digging my own grave!

Never fear the Undertaker is here!!!

Just kidding...but I agree. The costs of Funerals are a bit on the steep side, especially when you start talking about burials with church services and visitations graveside services or even using multiple funeral homes in the case of shipment across the country.

In my opinion the FTC rule increased the total costs of funerals. Before the funeral rule, F.H's had packages available with one price given for the type of service provided. Now, since 1988 that is F.H.'s are mandated by the FTC to itemize services with a corresponding $ amount. I've even seen some General Price lists from other F.H.'s that charge families for restroom facilities. This I believe is whats responsible for the increase in funeral home prices.

Being a funeral director has been a rewarding career choice for me. In the community that I live in everybody knows me and (knock on wood) my reputation as a caring professional precedes me. I have no problem presenting a fair bill to a family and asking how would you like to take care of this?

Understand this, I'm on call 24hrs a day 7 days a week. I've scraped unfortunate people off of floors that they've stuck to having been dead for several days in a hot apartment. I've cut down suicide victims from trees and removed charred remains from airplanes. I've hugged family members after they've lost a child and cried after everyone left.

That service costs money and I sleep well at night knowing that I have not taken advantage of anyone during their time of need.

Can't you just be buried in your own backyard? If so many people bury their pets in their backyards, then why not their relatives? They wouldn't need to travel so far to visit their graves.

reply to post by MayorOfCydonia


I didn't think about that....gotta check Texas laws....we do have a cat buried back there, cross & all!

Originally posted by jackflap

You have no idea how acquainted I am with funeral costs. Anyway, I agree with you. Build your own casket. Have a family member with a pickup truck take you to the cemetery. The costs of these funerals are out of control.

I agree 100%, am alone now, put me in a pine box and throw me in the oven!!! Spread the ashes everywhere, that's where we came from, what the hell. I hate going to the cemetary, long travel, I want to dig my wife up every time I go. Hate it. And as for the costs, sickening.

reply to post by MayorOfCydonia


You'll have to check your State and local laws. Sometimes yes, you can be buried in the back yard.

Originally posted by MayorOfCydonia
Can't you just be buried in your own backyard? If so many people bury their pets in their backyards, then why not their relatives? They wouldn't need to travel so far to visit their graves.

About 6 yrs ago, I had to put my beloved family dog to sleep. I wanted to bury her in my backyard. I was told it was illegal to bury pets in your yard. The other option that was explained to me by the vet, was that she would be buried in a mass grave for $50 at an undisclosed location or I could pay $300 to have her cremated and be given her ashes( and THEN I could bury her in my yard). What a racket! I paid the money to have her cremated, even though it was hard to come up with the money after all I'd spent on her medical bills.

I'm sure the law varies from state to state about what you can and can't do regarding burial for people. Anything to squeeze as much money out of you as possible.

[edit on 17-12-2009 by Schleprock]

[edit on 17-12-2009 by Schleprock]

reply to post by Signals


Building your own bone box may be a good idea but... unless you pay to have your own property zoned for burials, you will still have to pay through your dead nose for a piece of dirt about the size of a bathtub to put it in.

Even the poor, who often opt for cremation, are cornered to sign over life insurance checks and/or any real (or otherwise) property of value in lieu of payment. My family and I went through this a couple of years ago and when we refused to sign a waiver on the small life policy that was in the system, the funeral home tried to threaten to refuse release of the ashed remains.

It is a racket and one that when looked at closely, reveals that the biggest investors are often local politicians and government officials.

Good post... S&F in memory of our deceased.

For those interested in making one of these-
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/986443ecd5f9.jpg[/atsimg]

Several useful sites with plans:
Mother Earth News Story
Rockler Woodworking
Funeral Planning 101

Is there an award for Most Morbid Thread Of The Day?

Originally posted by daddio

I hate going to the cemetary, long travel, I want to dig my wife up every time I go.

Anybody else squirm when reading this?


Thanks for the replies everyone.

reply to post by SmokeJaguar67


Did you know you can get your ashes made into diamonds and gemstones? If she really feels that way, she might like to have you close to heart in a pendant or something. Some people have an attachment to the ashes, or remains, as it somehow lends to them feeling closer to the lost one.

I have emphasized to my family that *I* will not be buried in that casket, only the shell of the body I possessed will be. Hence, I chose to not be buried. I dislike very much the family traditions of going to the cemetary on certain days to "pay respect".

Respect me while I am here, I say, and love me when I am gone, but remember who I was and all I stood for, and not what I looked like in that casket before the funeral.

reply to post by Schleprock


And then you have "death taxes" on the estate.

Just one more jab in the eye on your way out the door!

Here is a great source for all for you casket making needs. Lots of other goodies also. Build away!! www.rockler.com...

The people in Ghana have the right idea about building caskets.

The coffins are designed to represent an aspect of the dead person’s life — such as a car if they were a driver, a fish if their livelihood was the sea — or a sewing machine for a seamstress. They might also symbolize a vice — such as a bottle of beer or a cigarette.

www.wendmag.com...