Common Sense Coffin Shopping

Have you ever thought about what sort of coffin you are going to be buried in? You may have heard of designer coffins and caskets with sports teams and Harley Davidson logos, but what about those of us who don't want to go out in a blaze of corporate advertising?

The designer coffins may seem overly extravagant to most of us, but even regular caskets that don't look like NASCAR cars can cost a pretty penny. The average coffin purchased from a funeral home can cost as much as $2,200. What do you get for this whopping price? Apparently, a pretty padded box and a false sense of security.

It's strange but true: a lot of people are willing to pay big bucks for a coffin that they think will protect their departed loved ones from the elements. Apparently they forget that corpses are, well...dead and won't be bothered by the elements. It's only their own sensibilities that are bothered. This strange psychological reaction in grieving survivors can get pretty expensive.

We would like to think that funeral home employees are ethical professionals whose expertise is superseded by none when it comes to choosing a coffin in which to bury our loved ones. But we should keep in mind what they really are: salesmen looking to make a sale.

While few people want to be buried in a cardboard box, it is hard to believe that being buried in a certain type of coffin is going to make that much of a difference to the dead. But these salesmen are counting on that psychological reaction of the family so they can sell a more expensive model of coffin.

Although it is not a pleasant thought, the fact is that bodies decompose. You may manage to prevent it for a short time by using a more expensive casket, but should you? What possible difference could the rate of decomposition make once a body is buried?

These are hard things to think about when it is your loved one who has died. That's why you should think about and talk about these things beforehand if possible. Since few people know the exact day and time of their death, it's best to be prepared for any possibility. Even if you have life insurance, you probably don't want your loved ones to overpay so that you can have a more stylish casket -- or one that will supposedly protect your body longer.

Coffin salesmen use sales tactics just like any salesperson. They will try to convince your grieving loved ones that you would want the super-deluxe casket with all the bells and whistles. If you don't want your family to shell out a ridiculous amount of money for a casket that will last much, much longer than your actual remains, tell them now. Do some online researching and you will find sites that will help you make common sense decisions in advance. Educate yourself now on your casket options to save your loved ones a lot of trouble and money.