While there are plenty of options for cost effective funeral and aquamation services, a simple aquamation service near Kings Mountain and Shelby, NC can cost a fair chunk of change. These fees don’t normally include any extra money for a service or memorial. With the cost of aquamation getting so high, it’s no wonder that people are looking for help to pay for them.

Read also: Benefits of Preplanning Aquamation

Are you looking for ways to stick to your budget? Here are four ways you can get help paying for or lower the cost of an aquamation:

1. Preplanning – Check the deceased’s papers and information to see if they made any plans to help pay for their aquamation. They might have put in place things such as prepaying programs, funeral insurance, life insurance, and payable-on-death bank account.

2. Fund Raising – Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your community, neighborhood, friends or other family. You’d be surprised how quickly people will chip in. Social media is also a great tool to make your need known and get more people involved. Don’t be afraid to share any fund raising or write posts about your need. Get creative with fund raising like:

• Car washes or bake sales
• Church groups or donations
• Memorial funds at the deceased’s workplace or bank
• Crowd funding websites like GoFundMe.com or GiveForward.com

3. Government Assistance – Local, state and even federal government programs can help pay for funerals and aquamations. Check with your local social service, county treasurer, or public fiduciary to see if any systems are in place. These programs have varying requirements, especially since local government budgets are tight, and they are making such programs more difficult to qualify for. Be sure to double check that you are eligible. The Social Security Administration can also provide assistance. Call to report a death and you may be eligible for a lump sum of $225 or other survivor benefits. Other federal programs that can help include Medicare, Medicaid, The Bureau of Indian Affairs, The Railroad Retirement Board, and the Veteran’s Administration.

4. Low-Cost Options – If you still can’t get enough funding, there are tons of low-cost funeral and aquamation options you can choose from, including:

• Memorial service at home or a community center
• Pot-luck food for the service
• Service at a church or other religious establishment
• Body donation to a medical school or other organization (Science Care is the world’s largest body donor program)
• Direct aquamation
• Burial on family land or a family plot

Read also: FAQs on Aqua Cremation

There is no shame in asking for help paying for an aquamation or other death-related service. Use any of these ideas to get you started. You can also reach out to Clay-Barnette Funeral Home for more assistance or ideas. We offer a range of Shelby, NC aquamation services and are happy to do whatever we can to assist you. Give us a call today to learn more about how to help ease the cost of an aquamation, or about what we can do for you in your time of loss.