Funeral arrangements don’t have to be complicated and should be the last thing on your mind when mourning.
What Will It Cost You To Die? Ways To Plan Ahead For A Cremation
The traditional experience, however, one that’s remained unchanged for nearly 150 years, is known to be expensive, complex, and often lacks personalization to honor life after death.
With the rise of secularism, scientific innovations, environmental awareness, and shifting outlooks on death, we’re looking for new ways to ritualize our lives after we’re gone.
With this disruption in the industry, we’ve even seen the rise of the ‘death movement,’ which encourages more open dialogue about death, actively addressing existing fears, advocating for a better and more humane dying process, and reinventing memorials and funerals.
Many families (70% of Canadians) have chosen to forgo the more traditional, somber, embalmed-body funerals, with their $10,000 industry average price tag, and look for other options like cremation.
When it comes to death almost everything is under review, which will only continue to shift and evolve. And perhaps, the last thing we can be remembered for is less about mourning death and more about celebrating life.
Introducing Eirene: Simple, Modern Cremation Services
Eirene is a modern arrangement service, available in Ontario, providing affordable cremation, completely online, all at your convenience.
Skip the in-person visits, endless paperwork and negotiating, and focus on grieving.
Offering peace of mind so you don’t have to shop around, we won’t upsell you on expensive caskets or memorial services.
We make sure there are no surprises—it’s simple—go online, pay a flat fee, and get back to spending more time on what matters most.
Our online process offers the flexibility to commemorate the deceased on your own time, with funeral directors and a care team supporting you every step of the way.
You’ll find that we have the same professional licenses as traditional funeral homes and are regulated under the same governing bodies.
We believe thinking and planning for death, one of the few and shared inevitabilities of life, makes for a more authentic and meaningful life.
We’ve made it our mission to unpack difficult conversations around end-of-life planning and help families navigate the complexities of death care. Learn more by visiting our blog.
What Makes Us Different?
Affordable: we charge $2,500 for a direct cremation vs. an industry average of $5,000.
We don’t have the same overheads as traditional funeral homes, which means we can extend those savings to our cherished families while maintaining high-quality services.
Simple: our platform allows you to make arrangements completely online from the comfort of your own home.
It’s easy to use, with a focus on your experience.
We only ask the required questions, ensure your payment is secure, and handle the rest.
Flexible: with direct cremation, there’s the freedom to arrange a memorial service to fit taste, budget, and timelines and none of the time or cost-pressure constraints, that would be typical of traditional funeral homes, are present.
How Does It Work?
You can expect the entire process to take one week and we’ll keep you informed along the way through email.
Post-cremation we provide the tools and resources to settle the estate, close accounts, and access grief support.
Anytime you need it, our care team, which is also made up of licensed funeral directors with decades of experience, is available to help you navigate the process, answer any questions you may have, and ensure your loved one is expertly cared for.
What to expect:
Enter all required information via our online platform
We bring the deceased into our care from their place of passing
Our licensed funeral director completes all required paperwork
We register the death with the Office of the Registrar General
Your loved one is transported to our partner crematorium
They receive a private, dignified cremation
Remains are then ready to be picked up or delivered at your earliest convenience
Common Costs For Cremation Packages
We started Eirene to provide more education and transparency in the funeral industry.
The following breaks down the most common costs you’ll encounter during cremation arrangements and highlights those that are not required.
Note: cremation is a simple disposition that doesn’t involve an immediate memorial or burial service (these are options still available once the ashes have been returned).
Mandatory Cremation Costs
Professional service fees: basic services of staff, facilities, etc. This fee is charged by all providers and can vary widely
Transfers: from the place of passing to the storage to the final disposition (once the paperwork is complete). This fee is heavily dependent on where your loved one dies (hospital, hospice, or at home), and how many people are required to safely transfer, based on weight and location
Shelter of remains/storage: safe storage in a refrigerated facility while paperwork is completed
Cremation container: a container used to hold the deceased during transfer, storage, and cremation (depending on preferences, anything from a cardboard box, the most eco-friendly option, to an elaborate casket)
Urns: a temporary container is most often provided with the remains, although it is important to note a temporary container is not actually temporary. Be wary of urn pricing, as markups can range from 300-500%. Eirene has an online store with a selection of over 300 high-quality, affordable Canadian-made products
Proof of death certificates: death certificates may be required to close accounts and settle the estate. Some funeral homes charge per death certificate, while others provide several copies and charge for extras. For an additional fee, certified death certificates can be acquired through the government
Pacemaker removal: poses a safety risk during cremation, therefore must be removed
Disbursements [these costs are mandatory and paid on behalf of your provider]
Cremation: charged by the crematorium your funeral home works with. This price varies greatly, so be sure to check the package includes the actual Prices can be deceiving and can often come as a surprise when you enter the arrangement process
Coroner’s fee: burial permit is required to proceed with cremation
Registering the death: funeral home will register the death with the Office of the Registrar General
Additional Items Not Required For Cremation
Additional items [not requirements]
Goods and services from outside vendors: organists, obituaries and flower arrangements, etc.
If you make these arrangements through the funeral home there will likely be an additional fee and you can save on these costs by reaching out on your own
Embalming: embalming is not a legal requirement in Canada and not required for most cremation arrangements. Refrigeration is often enough for body storage.
Shopping Tips For Cremation Services
Most people forget a funeral is not just an emotional ritual, it’s also a business transaction.
Doing your research, specifically around pricing, has the potential to save you thousands of dollars.
And, of course, the most effective way to avoid overspending during this emotionally vulnerable time is to articulate your preferences ahead of time and put your wishes in writing.
This may be the single most important thing we all do before we die.
The point of all of this is to make a difficult thing like dying, or loving someone who is dying, even a little bit less difficult.
Shop around and compare pricing. Funeral homes are legally required to provide a detailed price list of what their package includes
Look at options ahead of time, so you’re not under pressure to make a decision
Ask a friend to accompany you, specifically someone who isn’t as emotionally invested. They’ll likely be able to help you make better choices and ask different questions
Ask for an itemized statement regarding your final choice before entering into a contract. Be clear on what parts are mandatory and which are optional (for example, most aren’t aware that embalming is not a legal requirement in Canada and isn’t required for cremation)
Changing Our Relationship To Death
None of us escape death, both with our own mortality and also with the people we love.
Despite this commonality existing between us we rarely talk about it.
Navigating end-of-life is scary and complex, and it’s common to question if we’re making the right choices.
The experience is loaded with emotions, it’s expensive, and it can feel hard to know what to do.
When we normalize conversations about end-of-life and prepare for the inevitable it truly has the power to change how we live
Sharing wishes for end-of-life means we’re more likely to have access to quality care.
It encourages a sense of control over final moments and ensures we can all die with dignity.
Having these conversations alters fears, strengthens relationships, and provides stability for those left behind.
These conversations, though difficult, mean we impact how we’re remembered, our legacy, and what we leave behind.
We started Eirene to provide families with a better funeral arrangement experience one that is different from the traditional, expensive, and complicated process, and we’re here to serve you in this new way.
We’re proud to partner with Canadian Budget Binder to educate and bring affordable, simple arrangement services to their readers.
Thank-You
Related Posts
Average Canadian Funeral Costs And The Process Involved
The Harsh Consequences Of Dying With No Will In Canada
What Happens To Your TFSA When You Die?
The Ultimate Guide For Planning Ahead Your Death (Executor Resources)
A Frozen Bank Account After Death Leaves Widow Broke
Your Last Will And The Legal Ramifications Of Death
The post Why Cremation Might Be Right For You : What Will It Cost You To Die? appeared first on Canadian Budget Binder.
#CareTeam #EstatePlanningCanada #AverageCreamationCosts #Cemetary #FuneralBudget
