Q: After my mother died, we discovered the funeral director hadn’t been completely honest with us and we ended up spending unnecessary money. Now that my dad is in the last stages of cancer, my family needs some advice on how to protect ourselves but also to give him a great send-off. – Sonny Savings.
A: Dear Mr. Savings: My only experiences with funeral homes have been positive; unfortunately, in researching, I found an astonishing number of errors “misspoken” by some funeral home directors. So here’s information to remember when Dan Director makes his suggestions:
• You don’t have to purchase a casket from the funeral home. Go online to Costco or to Wal-Mart or even more a manufacturer for far less money.
• Many funeral homes don’t offer a refrigerated holding room because they want you to pay for the cost of embalming. If you have the viewing a few
days after death, most bodies present very nicely if they were held in the refrigeration.