Thanks Wombat and Ozi2, I will check those links out.

I rang the funeral director today and they are going to send me so prices etc for completing paperwork, simple body pick up, and cremation. For an extra charge they will pick up the ashes or I can have a relative pick them up instead.

I rang the cemeteries board in WA, and they told me the actual charge for a cremation is $1,020, picking up the ashes from them is free.

They also told me that they now put the ashes in a plastic screw top container, this is free also. 

So, my thinking now is to get the funeral director to do the paperwork, pick my carcass up and have it cremated (no cost known yet) and have a family member pick the ashes up.  Still deciding what to do after that for the family.   Was thinking maybe providing some money for one of the kids to hire a function room in a pub, have a celebrant there and a few sandwiches and drinks etc, ashes to be scattered later somewhere.

Still considering my options....

some more info here, I could not find anything on eBay

http://www.funerals.org/forconsumersmenu/casketretailers

http://coffincompany.co.uk/cardboard-coffin

http://voices.yahoo.com/the-advantage-cardboard-caskets-3969218.html

Duh wrote:

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Checking out different types of funerals, am thinking simple body pick up, cremation, no service of any kind, pick up ashes and that's it.   Get together somewhere for a few drinks and scattering of ashes at favourite place etc.

Has anyone done this or had friends etc do something similar?

You can do what I have suggested cheaper by NOK filling in permission to cremate and a couple of other forms, but I would not want anyone to have to do that, so looking at having that done by a funeral director, but as per my first paragraph.

Looking at the cemetery board site for WA, they will not cremate a body (ie; allow it on site) without it being in a coffin, so lets say cheapest (cardboard?) coffin.....

Any feedback appreciated, apologies if my thread upsets anyone, just need to know for planning purposes.....

 

-- Edited by Duh on Saturday 8th of June 2013 05:44:02 PM

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 Hi Duh, good topic that needs to be addressed. the website www.lawhandbook.org.au is very informative for those seeking a legal view of funeral arrangements.

Thanks for the suggestion NeilnRuth, yes I am thinking along those lines too. 

A lawyer doing wills once said to me "you can't rule from the grave" or from the ashes if you like.....good points.  

I certainly hope we all have some more time on this earth, but it helps to have things sorted beforehand like Gerty has said, then forget about it and get on with life. 

ken thomas wrote:

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Stop worrying about funerals

STAY ALIVE
Ken

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 Not a very happy subject but one that needs to be aired to find some answers.

As I said before Ken, I am not worrying about it but putting some planning and finance into place so others are not left with a burden if I do fall of the perch for some reason, once that has been done, then like Gerty says I can forget about it and get on with living until the inevitable, just good common sense, the experience and comments by others on the subject have been most helpful.....

No good burying ones head in the sand and pretending it isn't ever going to happen.

Duh wrote:

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As I said before Ken, I am not worrying about it but putting some planning and finance into place so others are not left with a burden if I do fall of the perch for some reason, once that has been done, then like Gerty says I can forget about it and get on with living until the inevitable, just good common sense, the experience and comments by others on the subject have been most helpful.....

No good burying ones head in the sand and pretending it isn't ever going to happen.

 

 

-- Edited by Duh on Monday 10th of June 2013 11:56:52 PM

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 well, it's not gonna happen to me 

_wombat_ wrote:

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             well, it's not gonna happen to me 

 Lesser life span for Wombats.......but you don't have to worry about it because the birds and ants will take care of your carcass at no cost to you.....   

Duh wrote:

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_wombat_ wrote:

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             well, it's not gonna happen to me 

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 Lesser life span for Wombats.......but you don't have to worry about it because the birds and ants will take care of your carcass at no cost to you.....   

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 WOW that's bloody good news, thanks Duh 

_wombat_ wrote:

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Duh wrote:

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_wombat_ wrote:

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             well, it's not gonna happen to me 

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 Lesser life span for Wombats.......but you don't have to worry about it because the birds and ants will take care of your carcass at no cost to you.....   

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 WOW that's bloody good news, thanks Duh 

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 Anytime Wombat, any time, glad I could help !  

Has anyone ever taken these Funeral Directors to task and asked them to justify the costs of these funerals ??

Seems to me they have you by the ***** and are taking advantage of the situation.

rosco532 wrote:

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Has anyone ever taken these Funeral Directors to task and asked them to justify the costs of these funerals ??

Seems to me they have you by the ***** and are taking advantage of the situation.

 

 

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 not many of them go out of business do they.

yes they are taking advantage of your emotional state at a time they know they can.

neilnruth wrote:

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Maybe I should get a costing example from our son!! I know he swapped companies when the one he was working for was bought by Americans. He went back to Australian family owned.

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 If its not too much trouble, I'd be interested in that Ruth?

I got a quote from one today for a simple cremation, that is, they complete and submit all the paperwork including death certificate etc, pick up the body, supply the coffin and have it cremated (in WA all bodies must be contained in a coffin for cremation, at the moment a cheap wooden one is cheaper than cardboard environmentally friendly one).

Cost for this (minus picking up the ashes) is $4,042. 

The family pick up the ashes in a container from the Cemetery Office, the ashes are free as is the ashes container which has a screw on lid.

(if you have the funeral director pick them up there is a charge).  I have some other info coming by post.  

Gee, Vic, reading that saw three words filter into my brain: Absolutely. Bloody. Outrageous.

These parasites (and I use that word deliberately) are preying on vulnerable relatives. How can a simple procedure as you outlined possibly cost that much?

Seems there are two ways to go: Agitation for Government action to rein these people in. (OK, fat chance of that, I know).

OR . . . there's an opening here for an entrepreneur. Paperwork, body collection, dignified cremation, ashes in a hinged wooden box (as I got for my beloved dog) rather than a screwtop plastic jar, and a bill for about $1000-$1500 at most. The demand is there and it's growing. Let's face it, honestly, how can it possibly cost four grand to pick up a body, put it in a box and burn it?

And if bureaucratic rules/charges get in the way of this simplification, let's change them.

Tony 

Duh wrote:

---

Checking out different types of funerals, am thinking simple body pick up, cremation, no service of any kind, pick up ashes and that's it.   Get together somewhere for a few drinks and scattering of ashes at favourite place etc.

Has anyone done this or had friends etc do something similar?

You can do what I have suggested cheaper by NOK filling in permission to cremate and a couple of other forms, but I would not want anyone to have to do that, so looking at having that done by a funeral director, but as per my first paragraph.

Looking at the cemetery board site for WA, they will not cremate a body (ie; allow it on site) without it being in a coffin, so lets say cheapest (cardboard?) coffin.....

Any feedback appreciated, apologies if my thread upsets anyone, just need to know for planning purposes.....

 

-- Edited by Duh on Saturday 8th of June 2013 05:44:02 PM

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EXACTLY what you have written is what is in my LW&T, with the addition that there is NO hurse, but either a flat bed or a trailer to take me to the furness, absolutely no flowers, and everybody that attends must get P155ed, that's it!!  You can pre buy a cardboard coffin on e-bay and nail it to a pallet for easy pick up, the timber burns okay too!!  I'm totally with you.  Cheaper the better and more for the food and beer!!  I always thought it was only me that felt this way, I'm not alone..................... 

I know Tony, I suppose they have to make a profit somehow for their services.

The cemetery crematorium charge either an individual or funeral director $1020.00 for a cremation, and I believe there will be a price rise in July.   So there would be this cost to the funeral director, plus the cheapest coffin (plain wood cheaper than cardboard one at the moment) and whatever time it takes to fill in and lodge the necessary forms and obtain the death certificate, and also transportation of the body from place of death perhaps to their premises first and then the crematorium.  I think they use a plain van or something to transport the body when it is not a formal funeral, but still a cost to them, staff driver, assistant to help load the body etc.

Anyway, I am sure they are all the same,  so if you want to have at least that much, no choice but to have it done.

I believe bikie members do their own paperwork, make their own coffin, and transport the body to the crematorium on a motorcycle sidecar adapted for the purpose, so would only be up for the cemetery crematorium cost of $1020.00....

I think there are a few here feel the same way Mark, not much choice unless rellies decide on a DYI funeral, but I think the initial limited steps would be too emotional for some.  Don't forget also that a cremation has to be booked so body may have to be stored in a fridge or freezer until the cremation date.   I suppose one thing in the funeral game is you would never run out of customers, the one I spoke to said they were flat out they were so busy...... 

tonyd wrote:

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Gee, Vic, reading that saw three words filter into my brain: Absolutely. Bloody. Outrageous.

These parasites (and I use that word deliberately) are preying on vulnerable relatives. How can a simple procedure as you outlined possibly cost that much?

Seems there are two ways to go: Agitation for Government action to rein these people in. (OK, fat chance of that, I know).

OR . . . there's an opening here for an entrepreneur. Paperwork, body collection, dignified cremation, ashes in a hinged wooden box (as I got for my beloved dog) rather than a screwtop plastic jar, and a bill for about $1000-$1500 at most. The demand is there and it's growing. Let's face it, honestly, how can it possibly cost four grand to pick up a body, put it in a box and burn it?

And if bureaucratic rules/charges get in the way of this simplification, let's change them.

Tony 

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 DITTO Tony

(I have been waiting a long time to use this anim, thanks Vic)

Typical Wombat, typical.....can you make it bigger please, bit hard to see.  Mine won't be as fancy as that, it will only be a cheapie fit for burning.

You would need an odd shape for a Wombat though, to take that huge backside! lol ! (see the Wombat disposal team in the pic attached);

 

 

I reckon when I think my time's up, I'll just go back up to Temple Bay, and lie down at the edge of the creek for my Croc's to eat me.   Cheap,  [except for the Fuel to get there] and use-ful.

Cheers,

Sheba.

This big enough 

As I am home on leave the lunchtime phone scammers now ring about FUNERALS plans...I said too bad I am not going to die so get lost.................

_wombat_ wrote:

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This big enough 

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 Thanks Wombat.....not much left of the second one ! All Bones !!!