A cheap funeral is the right choice for many families because of financial constraints or personal preferences. Explore your options for a respectful farewell while keeping costs down.
At Distinct Cremations, we specialise in low cost funerals including unattended direct cremation which is the most affordable funeral option. Give our caring customer service specialists a call on 01543 211997 for full details of our funeral services.
Having a cheap funeral doesn't mean compromising on the level of care or respect your loved one is given.
The financial burden of arranging a funeral can add to the emotional strain. Navigating your time of loss with financial prudence can reduce the stress of an already difficult situation.
There are many ways you can honour your loved one's memory and maintain the dignity they deserve whilst keeping the send-off affordable. The most important aspect of a funeral is not the extravagance of the arrangements but the love and respect with which you remember your loved one’s life.
Explore practical strategies and cost-saving measures to help you plan a cheap funeral that’s just as meaningful.
Before exploring cost-saving options, it's useful to understand the breakdown of funeral costs associated with a traditional funeral.
A funeral director or funeral service provider will help to arrange the funeral on your behalf. They will guide you through what needs to be done when and provide both practical and emotional support throughout.
Many funeral providers offer cheap funeral packages where you pay a single set fee for the inclusion of multiple services. The costs below may be included or offered as additional extras:
Cheap funerals allow you to reduce the costs of many of these aspects or avoid them altogether.
Your choice of funeral provider will likely have the biggest impact on the overall funeral cost so research different options. You may find a nationwide provider offers different cheap funeral options than your local funeral home.
As part of the Westerleigh Group, Distinct Cremations specialises in affordable cremation funerals. We offer options for unattended direct cremations or small attended cremations at one of our 41 crematoriums across mainland UK.
Find out more about our services below. Alternatively, you can view our CMA standardised price list.
Our unattended cremation is a great choice for those looking for a simple, low-cost unattended cremation without a funeral ceremony. Unattended cremations take place with no service or mourners present at our high-quality crematoria where dignified care is guaranteed throughout.
Our attended, personal cremation is perfect for those looking for a fuss-free farewell and a final chance to say goodbye. With our dignified and affordable attended cremations up to 8 people can attend a 10 minute service or up to 20 people can attend a 20 minute service.
Regulation in the funeral industry means that prices should always be clear and transparent so you know what you’re paying upfront. You should also be clear on what’s included. Don't hesitate to ask for itemised price lists to understand what you're paying for if you’re not sure.
Saving tip
Pay attention to what’s included and the added costs of extras as well as the overall price. This makes sure you’re not just getting a cheap funeral but the best value funeral for you.
As well as considering funeral providers, there is also a choice to be made between cremation or burial.
Cremation may not be for everyone due to religious beliefs or personal preferences. But if you’re open to having your loved one cremated, it tends to be the cheap funeral option in comparison to burial.
| Burial | Cremation | |
|---|---|---|
| Average cost | £5,077* | £3,795** |
| Before the funeral | Traditionally the deceased is embalmed so they can be viewed by the family which comes with an associated cost. | Embalming and viewing is not necessary, saving you money and allowing you to remember your loved one as they were in life. |
| Funeral service | Traditional burial conventions may be followed such as having an elaborate coffin or casket and a funeral procession with high-end cars. | A cremation can also be elaborate but there are many simpler and more affordable options available which avoid the need for extravagance. |
| After the funeral | Burial plot costs such as internment fees and fees for the exclusive rights of burial can be in the thousands. | Ashes can be stored in urns or scattered in a location of significance, eliminating the need for a burial plot. |
* Average cost of burial in 2024, SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2024, sunlife.co.uk/funeral-costs
** Average cost of cremation in 2024, SunLife Cost of Dying Report 2024, sunlife.co.uk/funeral-costs
A direct cremation is an unattended cremation which eliminates the need for a funeral service. This option typically costs significantly less than a traditional funeral so a direct cremation is a popular cheap funeral choice.
Families can then plan a separate memorial service at a later date, allowing more time to gather funds or make arrangements.
With a direct cremation, many expenses associated with a funeral are not needed. There is no need to spend money on:
Cost-saving is not the only reason to choose a direct cremation. A direct cremation funeral also appeals to those who:
Caskets and urns come in a wide range of prices. Choosing a simple, modest option can significantly reduce costs.
Our coffins, which are included in the cost of any of our cremations, are a simple light oak style.
As part of our Go Greener add-on, you can instead have a coffin made using recovered or recycled wood fibre. We also arrange for a tree to be planted in the UK to help act against climate change and fully offset the unavoidable carbon produced from our services.
Whilst add-ons may not be suitable for everyone looking for cheap funeral options, choosing a green funeral means a person’s last act is to protect the planet for their children, grandchildren and future generations.
See more about Go GreenerHaving a modest funeral urn or ashes container can also help to reduce overall funeral expenses.
A simple ashes container is also included in the price of all of our funeral services. This is ideal if you plan to scatter your loved one’s ashes in a significant place.
For those who would like to keep their loved one’s ashes instead, we also offer the option to upgrade to a wooden urn.
Taking a DIY approach to the personal aspects of the funeral service lets you tailor the send-off to your loved one while staying within budget.
You don’t have to order expensive funeral order of service booklets, memorial cards or other funeral stationery from a professional printer.
There are many templates and design resources readily available online for you to design and print your own at home.
Instead of hiring musicians, curating a personal playlist of your loved one’s favourite songs can be just as special and unique.
Check the facilities of your funeral service or memorial venue. Many will have multimedia equipment like speakers or screens available to you.
Save money on funeral flowers and decorations by making them yourself. Affordable flowers can be bought from local markets or supermarkets.
You can also make your own decorations and keepsakes with a little creativity and effort using online tutorials and supplies from local craft stores.
Floral arrangements can be one of the more substantial funeral costs but sometimes family members will offer to chip in.
You may like to consider asking them to contribute to a memorial fund or charity in honour of your loved one instead. This reduces the money spent on flowers overall and creates a lasting legacy that benefits others.
Depending on your financial situation and circumstances, there may be other ways of paying for a funeral available to you that support you with the costs.
Funeral Expenses Payment
Depending on your income and existing benefits, you may qualify for government assistance to help cover funeral expenses. In England and Wales this is called a Funeral Expenses Payment. In Scotland you can apply for a Funeral Support Payment.
Charity support
Local charitable organisations may also help with funeral expenses for those in need. Charities that fundraise for a specific physical or mental health condition may also provide support if your loved one suffered from or died from the illness.
Career-based assistance
Depending on your loved one’s profession there may be support available. Check to see if any organisations offer funeral aid for those who worked in your loved one’s chosen field. This could involve helping to pay for the funeral or supporting the family.
Community resources
You can also consider reaching out to your local community. Religious organisations, community groups, social service resources or crowdfunding sites may be able to offer emotional or financial support.
As well as choosing cheap funeral arrangements over more extravagant services, there are some funeral expenses you may be able to avoid completely.
A formal funeral procession of hearses and limousines to the funeral venue can be costly. Instead, you can coordinate sharing cars to minimise your and your family’s costs of getting to the funeral.
With Distinct Cremations, your loved one is transported to the crematorium via private ambulance. The coffin will be resting in the chapel before mourners arrive for the funeral service. Transportation of the deceased is included in all of our low-cost funeral services.
There is usually a fee for publishing an obituary in a newspaper or on an online obituary website. A shorter version with just the key information can help to cut down costs, especially for printed obituaries.
Alternatively, consider other ways of paying tribute to your loved one. If they were involved with a charity, many charity websites have pages for online obituaries. Social media also lets you notify friends and family of the passing for free.
Donating a body to medical schools or research institutions avoids funeral costs although some contribution towards transportation may be required. Doing so also supports advancements in medical education and research.
However, the person who has died will need to have made their wishes clear in writing before their passing for this to be an option. If your loved one has chosen to donate their body to science, you can commemorate their life in an alternative way.
Pre-paying for a funeral locks in the current prices and protects against inflation and future price rises.
By planning ahead, you can research affordable options without the added pressure of time constraints and make informed decisions about the best cheap funeral plans.
Our cheapest funeral plan is our Unattended Direct Cremation Plan. We also offer low-cost funeral plans for attended cremation services with different service lengths and numbers of attendees.
All of our services focus on affordability and providing dignified and straightforward send-offs.
Get in touch with us on 01543 211997 for more information or request a free guide.
Call us on 01543 211997Having a simple wake lets you focus on remembering your loved one and sharing memories with friends and family.
Some memorial service ideas to keep the event simple are:
Our further guidance about cheap funeral costs can help you to say goodbye to your loved one in the most affordable way.
If you need to arrange a low cost funeral now, our experienced and compassionate team are available on 01543 212000 to help guide you through every step of the process.
Our complete guide to minimising funeral costs shares more tips and ideas for how you can keep funeral costs as low as possible.
Low cost funerals
Learn more about the average cremation costs and what you can expect to pay for to make sure you’re not overpaying for services you don’t need.
Average cremation costs
Our low cost cremation services can help you reduce your funeral expenses. Explore our options to arrange a funeral straight away.
Arrange a funeralWe offer the highest level of support, but don't just take our word for it. Below are recent reviews from customers who bought a funeral with us.
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