Although it isn’t pleasant to think about, we all want to make sure that our families are taken care of when we pass away. In order to do this we have to unfortunately think about what will take place after that happens. One of the ways that you can ensure that things will not be stressful for those who will be taking care of your funeral and burial arrangements is to plan ahead. Here are just a few of the decisions you can make now so that your loved ones won’t have to:

1. Type of Burial – The two main burial options used in the United States are cremation and casket. People have various reasons for choosing one option over another, but neither one is better or worse than the other. In the last decade there has been a 20% jump in cremation rates according statistics from the Cremation Association of North America. Cremation is also an option that people are choosing for their pets. Cremation allows the loved ones to choose to have the ashes of the deceased stored in urns or to be scattered somewhere special. Those who use cremation for their pets also have the option of purchasing animal urns for ashes.

2. Cost – One reason that cremation has become a more popular option in the last decade is because of cost. Traditional casket funeral costs average around $10,000, whereas the average for a memorial service and cremation is about $3,100 according to the National Funeral Directors Association. Planning for your passing involves thinking about the amount of money your loved ones will need to pay and making sure that they have what they need. Working with a funeral director usually helps this process because they can provide you with options that are within the budget. No matter which type of burial you choose there are affordable cremation urns and affordable caskets for all budgets.

3. Keepsakes – Another reason that more and more people are choosing cremation is because it allows more options for memorial keepsakes. These options include things like ash containers, cremation ash jewelry, ash necklaces, and even animal urns for ashes. This may not be something that you specifically choose before you pass, but giving your loved ones this option is sometimes extremely helpful for their grieving process.

Planning for your future has some tough decisions – funeral arrangements and burial types are some of them. Just remember to consider the type of burial you would like, the cost of what you are leaving your loved ones to pay for, and the advantage of being able to make sure your family has keepsakes long after you are gone. Whether you are looking for animal urns for ashes or biodegradable cremation urns talking to a local company that specializes in those areas will be to your advantage.