“We’ll protect each other, in the ways we can. If one of us needs help, the other will come dashing in like the hero who saves peoples’ hearts!”

• embalming, the process of chemically preserving a corpse, is typically not required by law. unless you need to transport the body long-distance or postpone the burial, it’s 100% a vanity thing.
• a body still rots in air-tight conditions. so “protective” or “sealed” caskets are basically a scam, and anything fancy like metal is a waste of money.
• want a beautiful casket for a viewing, but think burning or burying an expensive piece of hardwood is a waste of money and trees? rentals exist.
• you don’t need a coffin for cremation. the minimum requirement is that the body be in a “cremation container,” which is a simple cardboard box.
• home funerals are an option. you don’t need to hand the body over to a funeral home, and you can keep their involvement to a minimum.
• natural burial sites exist. you can have your unembalmed body straight up thrown in the dirt to be tree food, if you want.
• there are a lot of funeral homes that will prey on your ignorance and vulnerability in order to get as much money out of you as possible. they may imply optional certain services are legally mandatory, steer you away from cheaper options, charge additional costs for what’s supposed to be all-inclusive services, etc.
• one person’s death is another person’s profit. know your rights, do your research, and apply the same scrutiny you would to any other business.