A burial plan can be one of the most considerate and caring gifts you can ever gift to your family. A burial plan means you plan your burial at your funeral before meeting your death. This can be a very thoughtful decision as it will relieve your family from being in the burden of making harsh decisions when they are in emotionally wrecked phase. Moreover, it will allow you to set your legacy. In this way, you do not need to be worried about how your family will manage the arrangements when you die.
Why should you make a burial plan?
Some people might think it quite bizarre and senseless when they hear it for the first time. But it makes all the sense in the world when you think about it more carefully. As everyone in the world knows that he will die eventually, so why not plan your burial? This will be a relief for your family because they will not have to think about how they should bury you while grieving your loss.
Steps to make a Burial Plan
They are quite important steps you have to include in your burial plan. These steps are described below:
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Choose your Burial Option
Deciding your burial option is the first and most important step in your burial plan. The type of burial is significant because it is a way to keep your memory alive forever. This is why you should carefully choose the option. Four types of burial are briefed below:
- In-Ground Burial
- Above Ground Burial
- Natural Burial
- Cremation
In-Ground Burial
The in-ground burial is the most traditional way of burying the deceased. In-ground burial is a process in which a casket is used to hold the dead body. A plot is dug into the ground in which the casket that holds the dead is placed. The plot is dug at a gravesite and is filled back when the casket is placed in it. After that, the soil above and around it is given a special shape to make it look like a grave. Sometimes a vault made from concrete is built around that space. To identify it in the gravesite where many graves are present, a headstone or grave marker is placed the contains the necessary info of the deceased.
Above Ground Burial
The burial above ground typically means a mausoleum. A mausoleum is simply a tomb or a tomb room. It is a monument that can be of the desired size used to hold the remains of the deceased. It can be an option in the burial plan according to the budget. There are various types of mausoleums out of which some are described below:
- Public Mausoleums
- Private Mausoleums
- Lawn Crypts
- Garden Mausoleums
Natural Burial
Natural burial is another option that is chosen by most people because it refers to the actual burial process. In this process, the body of the deceased is buried into the plot dug into the ground and then the plot is filled up again. This process is done in a cemetery that is collected for the nearby living people. Natural burial is a type of in-ground burial, but it does not require any type of casket or vault. The dead body is directly buried into the ground and a headstone is placed to identify the place where the body is buried.
Cremation
If you do not want your body to be buried, there is an option of cremation. Cremation is the process alternative to burial in which the dead body is burned. Ashes of the body are buried or kept by the relatives at some safe place. Cremation is an ancient tradition in the countries of Nepal and India to perform the final rituals of the deceased.
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Select your Memorial Location
After you have selected the type of burial you are going to have, you must decide the location of your memorial that will be the final resting place for you. As it is described above, your burial can be in-ground or above ground. You can choose your location that where you want to rest after you die. That can be a public cemetery or a public mausoleum which is the most common of all. However, private mausoleums are also available where the bodies of all the deceased of a particular family are buried. If you want your body to be cremated, you can decide what your family should do with the ashes of your body.
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Make sure your plan is paid for
This step is the most important in any plan. If you are going to plan your burial, you must leave enough money so that your family can carry out your burial plan easily. Moreover, you should always keep your budget in mind when planning your burial. There are quite a few ways to make sure that you leave enough money for your family to carry out the arrangements as you planned. The best ways are listed below:
- Life Insurance
- Save money starting today
- Use money from the deceased’s estate
Life insurance can prove to be the best option here because it can easily cover all the expenses. Saving money is also possible but it is not sure when the saved money is used by you. Using money from the deceased’s estate is valid however it is not recommended.
Conclusion
To conclude the discussion, a burial plan is how you want your body to be buried after you die. There are a lot of options in burying a dead body. The burial can be in-ground or above ground. The in-ground burial can be the natural burial or with a casket and vault. Cremation is also an option if you do not want your body to be buried in the ground. Your plan must be clear and in a document that is easily accessible by your family. Lastly, like any plan, you should leave enough money so that your plan can be carried out as you transcribed.