So if you want to plan your own funeral what do you need to do? Where do you need to lodge the details? Well ideally you should plan your funeral with your family so that everyone knows what you want.
Of course write it down and put it with your other papers that will be gone through on your demise.
You could go to your solicitor or whomever you are going to have your probate dealt with and leave the details there, quite a good idea so long as the family remember that the details are there and retrieve them before the funeral! As ever leave written instructions, you really have no idea how much of a strain this will take off your relatives, who, even if your death followed an illness, will be in shock.
This can extend to what sort of coffin you want, these days there is a bewildering array of coffins from the traditional to a really nice one from' Colourful Coffins', have a look at them, it's almost worth popping your clogs to have one! Their cardboard coffins give families the chance to combine a greener funeral option for their loved ones but without compromising on quality or design style.
You can even have a collage of photos put on; I really liked the look of them.
A coffin is not something that most of us give much thought to, and again we might be entering the realms of the ultimate control freak, if we think of ordering our own coffin, but have an idea in mind, for that funeral list you're making.
There are willow coffins, whicker coffins, and the traditional plush lined sort with the gleaming metal handles, bamboo, sea grass and a very futuristic looking ecopod coffin.
Paulownia solid wood and veneered coffins are manufactured in the Far East, where Paulownia is a well-known native wood and is about a 2/3 of the weight of a usual solid wood coffin is strong and made from a fast growing tree similar in appearance to Ash although it can be stained to an oak colour.
Prices for the more contemporary green type coffins are between $500 and $750, but shop around.
Mostly wholesalers are expecting funeral directors to buy coffins so it is sometimes not possible for a member of the public to get hold of one form some sites.
But shop around if you have something in mind.
Otherwise the funeral director of your choice should be able to source anything that you want, especially if you given them a website to look at.
But generally I think you will find that most funeral directors are moving with the times.
They know that people's requirements are changing and to their credit they are doing their best to accommodate all our little quirks.
There is no doubt though that the price of a funeral, like everything else is rising and purchasing a funeral plan type insurance is always a good idea, you know the sort of thing, an earnest ageing former star of the small screen urging you to think of the family and do the right thing, saving them the expense of the funeral.
It can be a good idea, and mostly is not too expensive.
In general the point at which you buy into the plan is the price you pay, no matter how far into the future you finally get round to using it.
So there are a few ideas on coffins to mull over and the funeral plan to think about.
It is true that by the time that by the time you become a candidate for a coffin you could care less what happens, but to quote from that learned source 'The Simpsons' -"Think of the children for God's sake won't someone think of the children!"