Cremation is sometimes recommended as a low-budget alternative to traditional burial. Here is a breakdown of the potential costs of cremation, and how you can potentially exclude them from your plan.

Renting or Buying a Casket (Optional)

The costs of renting a casket are reserved for families who want to have an open casket viewing before having the body cremated. You can usually rent a casket from your funeral home. You also have the choice of buying a casket, and this can be used to bury the ashes in a cemetery plot.

Picking a Cemetery Package (Optional)

There are options besides going to a cemetery if you have the body cremated. You could keep the urn in your own home or even have it buried in your backyard. But if you choose to have a cemetery plot, factor in the costs of picking a plot and also purchasing a headstone. You can reduce the cost of the headstone if you buy it from a third party provider.

Funeral Services (Optional)

You could have a funeral, or none at all. You can also keep costs low by having a memorial service in your own home for close family. So, this expense is entirely optional.

Cremation Itself (Required)

The cost of cremation itself is inevitable, but it can be mitigated in a few ways. First, make sure that your cremation services center offers flame cremation rather than chemical options; these are often much more affordable. You could also look into social service programs that help with the costs of burial. Often, these require you to elect cremation services rather than traditional burial, so you're on the right track if you've already decided to have a cremation service.

Cremation Vessel (Optional)

Some sort of cremation vessel is common. This may be an urn, and the urn could be included with your cremation service's package. There are other options as well. Some service providers work with cremated ashes to create personalized lockets, paintings and other trinkets that help you remember your loved one in a unique way. But, you don't have to get a cremation vessel at all. If you choose a scatter at sea ceremony instead, you can exclude this expense.

As you can see, there are many ways to make cremation services more affordable. This is one of the unique benefits of cremation; you can keep the costs low by avoiding a lot of mandatory services and charges.