The Family Funeral Planning Handbook: Choices, Costs and First Steps Made Clear
You may want to plan ahead, but the choices, rules and prices can be hard to compare. This book gives you methods for asking clear questions, organizing wishes and reviewing full costs before you sign anything.
Plus 2 separate bonus books.Including Funeral Cost Comparison Worksheet.
One digital bundle. PDF to read or print, plus EPUB for e-readers.
176Pagesin the main book
10Chaptersread in any order
2Bonus booksall included
Instant downloadPDF + EPUB for any device or e-reader
30daysRead-It-First Guarantee30 days, every dollar back
01 · How it helps
For planning ahead and the days when a parent dies
Use the book when you have time to prepare. Keep it close when decisions need to be made calmly and in writing.
1Starting the plan
Where do I begin when my family has not talked about this?
✓How to assign unfinished planning work and make a practical family file. Chapter 01
Who gets to make the final decision?
✓How to check the state priority order and identify the person with authority. Chapter 01
What papers could change the arrangements?
✓How to gather the records that may affect choices, payment or cemetery plans. Chapter 01
2Comparing choices and costs
How can I tell whether quotes include the same things?
✓How to build one matching arrangement scenario before requesting quotes. Chapter 02
What does a burial really include beyond the casket?
✓How to list funeral-home, cemetery, container, marker and future charges together. Chapter 03
What might be missing from a cremation price?
✓How to build a direct-cremation baseline with each needed charge shown. Chapter 04
3Writing wishes and acting
How do I leave wishes my family can actually use?
✓How to separate wishes, legal papers, contracts and advance directives into clear categories. Chapter 07
What should I do first when a parent dies?
✓How to identify the first call, find key papers and control the provider conversation. Chapter 09
What should I check before I sign or pay?
✓How to match the written selection statement to the quote and keep the first-week file complete. Chapter 10
02 · What’s inside
A 10-chapter guide for clear decisions
Each chapter takes one part of funeral planning at a time. You get practical methods, questions to ask and a small next step for tomorrow.
01
Make the Plan Before Anyone Has to Rush
Chapter 1
Set a planning deadline and name the two family members who will finish the file
Identify who has the right to control disposition under your state's priority order
Gather the identity, veteran, cemetery, insurance and prepaid-plan documents that could change the arrangements
Choose a first-choice disposition and one available backup
Set a total spending ceiling before comparing providers
Hold a 30-minute family decision meeting with one note-taker and a no-pressure rule
02
Read Price Lists and Compare Full Costs
Chapter 2
Request a current General Price List from each funeral provider and record how and when it was received
Translate basic-services, facilities, staff, transfer, preparation and vehicle charges into common labels
Build one identical arrangement scenario before asking providers for quotes
Separate funeral-home charges from cemetery, crematory, clergy, obituary, permit, certificate and other cash-advance charges
Mark every charge as chosen, legally required, required by a cemetery or provider policy, or optional
Calculate mileage, after-hours removal, refrigeration, storage and additional-transfer charges
Use and interpret the Funeral Cost Comparison Worksheet with a completed three-provider example
Turn blank, unclear or bundled price lines into questions and a revised written quote
03
Price a Burial From Casket to Cemetery
Chapter 3
Compare immediate burial, graveside-only burial and funeral-plus-burial as three complete scenarios
Compare caskets by material and delivered price and verify current FTC rules for a third-party casket
Verify the cemetery's outer burial container or vault rule and price every permitted option
Add interment rights, opening and closing, setup, weekend, recording and cemetery-care charges
Compare embalming, refrigeration and viewing policies by separating state law from provider policy
Price a private family identification, public viewing and closed-casket service separately
Calculate marker, foundation, installation, inscription and future cemetery costs
04
Compare Cremation Without Missing the Extras
Chapter 4
Build a direct-cremation baseline that includes transfer, shelter, permits, crematory charges, container and return of remains
Compare a funeral before cremation, a viewing before cremation and a memorial after cremation as separate scenarios
Check state authorization, identification, waiting-period and coroner or medical-examiner requirements
Determine whether the provider operates the crematory or uses a third party and identify every added transfer charge
Compare alternative containers, rental caskets and cremation caskets by delivered total
Compare a temporary container, purchased urn and family-supplied urn, including size and acceptance requirements
Compare lawful final-placement costs for cemetery burial, a columbarium niche, scattering and shipping
05
Compare Water Cremation, Green Burial and Human Composting
Chapter 5
Check current state availability for alkaline hydrolysis or water cremation before requesting a quote
Price water cremation from first transfer through permits, processing, returned remains and shipping
Distinguish natural burial, green burial and conservation burial using written cemetery standards and Green Burial Council references
Verify green-cemetery rules for embalming, containers, vaults, grave liners and markers
Price a shroud or biodegradable container together with cemetery labor, closing and marker charges
Compare conservation cemeteries, hybrid cemeteries and green sections within conventional cemeteries
Check current state availability for natural organic reduction or human composting and price the complete arrangement
Calculate out-of-state transport, timing and total cost when a preferred disposition is unavailable locally
06
Choose the Service and Merchandise You Actually Want
Chapter 6
Compare no ceremony, direct disposition with a later memorial, a graveside service and a full funeral by line item
Choose a private goodbye, visitation, viewing, wake or none and price the facility, staff and body-care consequences
Compare funeral-home, place-of-worship, cemetery, community-venue and home-memorial costs and policies
Rebuild a package into itemized lines and remove unwanted services before judging its discount
Compare caskets and urns across providers by material, dimensions and delivered price rather than showroom name
Set one spending cap for flowers, programs, obituary notices, livestreaming, music, tribute videos and keepsakes
Price procession transportation, hearse, utility vehicle and family limousine charges as separate choices
07
Write Wishes Your Family Can Use
Chapter 7
Separate personal wishes, legal authorizations, contracts and advance directives into four labeled categories
Record a first-choice disposition and a backup, including the conditions that would trigger the backup
List service choices, merchandise limits and explicit do-not-purchase preferences
Name a decision-maker and backup after checking your state's form, witness and notarization rules
Record provider, cemetery, plot, policy, veteran, membership and faith-community contacts
Map where original documents, identification and access instructions are kept without placing passwords on the sheet
Use and interpret My Funeral Wishes Sheet with a completed example, family read-back and annual review date
08
Decide How the Funeral Will Be Paid For
Chapter 8
Estimate a pay-at-need target from three current itemized arrangements rather than a national average
Separate charges due during arrangements from later cemetery, monument, obituary and gathering costs
Check an existing life or final-expense policy's owner, beneficiary, benefit, exclusions and payout timing in the policy documents
Compare trust-funded and insurance-funded preneed contracts using provider disclosures and state regulator sources
Mark guaranteed and non-guaranteed goods and services and calculate the possible family shortfall
Check cancellation, refund, portability, transfer, relocation and provider-closure terms before prepaying
Compare financing offers by total repayment, fees, interest and collateral rather than monthly payment
Check documented eligibility and claim steps for veteran, Social Security, employer, union, fraternal and local assistance benefits
09
Take the First Steps When a Parent Dies
Chapter 9
Use a location-of-death decision tree to identify whether the first call goes to a facility, hospice, emergency services, clinician, coroner or medical examiner
Locate written wishes, authority papers, identification and prepaid, insurance and cemetery records before the arrangement call
Confirm who may authorize disposition under current state law when documents conflict or relatives disagree
Choose a removal and transport provider and ask about transfer, mileage, after-hours and storage charges before authorizing when circumstances allow
Ask whether a transfer authorization creates any obligation to buy further services and request the terms in writing
Make one controlled provider call covering disposition, timing, required documents, price lists and the next appointment
Notify a small first-day contact list and assign one spokesperson, one document finder and one home or pet caretaker
10
Get Through the First Week Without Missing a Decision
Chapter 10
Prepare an arrangement-conference agenda with decisions, budget, source documents and unanswered questions
Estimate death-certificate copies from actual known uses and record who orders them, their price and delivery timing
Match the Statement of Funeral Goods and Services Selected to the written quote before signing or paying
Confirm permit, authorization, crematory or cemetery booking and transport responsibilities on one timeline
Write and approve the obituary or death notice only after confirming publication price and deadline
Build a first-week calendar for notifications, service logistics, clothing, photographs, music, readers, payments and certificate pickup
Close the first-week file with receipts, contracts, certificates, disposition records and named owners for the remaining tasks
03 · Your 2 bonus books
Working pages for your family file
The book includes a Funeral Cost Comparison Worksheet and My Funeral Wishes Sheet. Use them to put choices, documents and questions in one place.
$21 estimated bonus valueAll 2 included with your $37 book
Bonus book 1 of 2
Funeral Cost Comparison Worksheet
Compare provider costs on paper.
A fillable sheet for comparing itemized price lists from several providers side by side, with the cemetery and transport charges. 33 pages.
Estimated value $12Included with the $37 book
Bonus book 2 of 2
My Funeral Wishes Sheet
Leave usable wishes for family.
A printable record of your choices, the people to call and where your documents are kept, for your family to find. 35 pages.
Estimated value $9Included with the $37 book
Plus, at no extra charge: lifetime updates to the main book.
Individual values are estimates set by Margaret Hale, not previous selling prices. No physical books are shipped.
04 · The honest part
What you won’t find in this book.
✕Not in this book: A promise that one choice is right for every family.
I show you how to compare the choices available to you.
✕Not in this book: A single price presented as the cost of a funeral.
I show you how to request itemized lists and build a complete total.
✕Not in this book: Advice that treats provider policy and state law as the same thing.
I show you how to ask which rule applies and where it comes from.
✕Not in this book: A substitute for legal, financial or provider advice.
I give you plain questions and records to take to the right source.
Margaret
05 · Who wrote it
Plain explanations from a careful host
Margaret Hale explains funeral, burial and cremation choices in plain words - traditional burial, cremation, water cremation, green burial and human composting - so a family can compare them calmly, before they need to.
Each video covers one choice: what it involves, what it usually costs, what the law lets you decide, and the questions to ask before you sign anything. Every rule and price is credited to its source, from the FTC Funeral Rule to the providers' own price lists, and the videos say where the rules change from state to state.
PDF and EPUB editions to download, read or print. No subscription. No shipping.
176 pages · 10 chapters · 2 bonus books
The Family Funeral Planning Handbook: Choices, Costs and First Steps Made Clear
For $37, you receive the 176-page handbook, digital PDF files and an EPUB for e-readers, along with 72 workbook pages. After payment, download the files and begin with the chapter closest to your present question.
$37$47Launch price — ends October 30
The book helps you put questions, costs and wishes into writing before a decision needs to be made.
What you get for $37:
Individual values below are publisher estimates. Everything is included in your $37 purchase.
The Family Funeral Planning Handbook: Choices, Costs and First Steps Made Clear
72 Methods for Funeral, Burial and Cremation Planning
$47
Bonus book 1Funeral Cost Comparison Worksheet
A fillable sheet for comparing itemized price lists from several providers side by side, with the cemetery and transport charges. 33 pages.
Est. value$12Included
Bonus book 2My Funeral Wishes Sheet
A printable record of your choices, the people to call and where your documents are kept, for your family to find. 35 pages.
Est. value$9Included
The printable field kit
72 printable pages: the worksheets and cards to use beside the book.
Included
Lifetime updates
Future revisions of this book at no extra charge.
$21
2 bonus books combined$21
Total estimated package value$89
You pay today$89$37
Secure one-time checkout. Your digital books are ready to download after confirmed payment.
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Published by Margaret Hale
30days
The Read-It-First Guarantee. Read the whole book and try it for 30 days. If it is not worth what you paid, ask for your money back through Whop, where you paid, and every dollar comes back, no questions asked. Whatever you have already downloaded, bonus books included, stays yours. You should not have to judge a book by its sales page.
07 · Questions
Questions worth answering
What exactly do I receive?
You receive the 176-page main book as digital PDF files and an EPUB for e-readers. You also receive the Funeral Cost Comparison Worksheet and My Funeral Wishes Sheet, with 72 workbook pages.
Can I print it?
Yes. The digital PDF files can be printed. You can also keep them in a digital folder for your family file.
Is it for me if I am planning ahead?
Yes. The book is for readers planning for themselves or a parent. It starts with organizing the plan before anyone has to rush.
Is it useful after a parent dies?
Yes. The later chapters cover the first call, key documents, provider contact and first-week decisions. They are designed to help you put urgent tasks into a written order.
Does it cover burial, cremation and other options?
Yes. It compares traditional burial, cremation, water cremation, green burial and human composting. It also shows how to check current availability, rules and full costs.
How do I start?
Download the files after payment. Choose the chapter that matches your immediate question, then complete its tomorrow step.
What if it does not help me?
Ask for your money back through Whop within 30 days and every dollar comes back, no questions asked. That is the Read-It-First Guarantee: read the book first, then decide.
Can I read it on a Kindle or e-reader?
Yes. The main book also comes as an EPUB file, which opens in Kindle (through Send to Kindle), Apple Books, Kobo and Google Play Books. The workbook and bonus books are PDFs, made to read on screen or print.
Know your Costs and First Steps
A funeral plan does not need to begin with a rushed decision. Start by writing down the question you need answered most.
$37 once · 30-day Read-It-First Guarantee · instant digital download
