Casket designed by Brian Tenorio for Lux Mortem.

One of the most heartbreaking and difficult experiences life has in store is laying a loved one to rest. It is never easy, but it is part of life. It is the final punctuation on a life lived, shared, and ultimately treasured through the days, weeks and years together. There aren’t any shortcuts to take about it, and it can be a test of character in itself.

It is only right that a family treats one’s last rites with respect and honor. A major part of honoring this is handling the funeral, and the different aspects that come with it. Different families have different customs, and different people have wishes that need to be respected. These can be a complex series of processes, events and details that all culminate in one last gathering to honor their memory. This can take time and money, but they are for many a small price to pay to respect one’s passing.

Yet the price of death has never been more expensive. Land reserved for cemeteries is no longer a readily available commodity like it was years ago. Also, the costs for undertaker services, a coffin, and the other features of modern-day memorial rites have not gone down, but have also been moving along with the market. It has become increasingly troubling to encounter people who are unable to properly go about these already trying days, while still having to wrestle with money matters and prices.

We at MiCash care about you. Here are some points that just might make the difficult days a little easier.

1. Coffin Rental

Considering how most people won’t really get to keep a coffin, it just might be a very practical measure to rent a coffin instead of having to buy one. Rented coffins are used for the wake, ideal as a good display for one’s visitors. The remains will be buried in a shell casket, and so the coffin can be reused for future needs. It’s practical, affordable and environmentally sound, too.

2. Cremation

Cremation has been in use for years, and people will have different opinions about it. Some cultures are forbidden to cremate their dead, while for others it’s really the only way to go.

What can’t be denied is that in some states, and for some services, a cremation can be almost six times cheaper than a burial. This also has not factored in the prices for a plot of land, people who keep a family crypt and the other costs of maintaining the place. Cremations are known to be a one-shot deal, and it’s up to the family to decide what to do with the ashes.

3. Keeping Things Simple

Unless it was his or her dying wish that the services include everyone from back home, it’s probably better to keep to simpler, more intimate services. True, something straight out of the film “Elizabethtown” would be memorable and sweet – it is – but there are also practical considerations to think about. A simple service may be better and more meaningful for all involved.