What was Costco thinking....?????

Sure why not? And have you ever priced caskets in a higher end funeral home? My Gods it's expensive!

Indeed! This is a great alternative to making your own casket from pine wood :P

If I had storage, I'd buy one. Imagine the amount of money I'd save my children, what with inflation and all that!!
 
I know how I'd bring it home...and all I'll need is a comforter and some rope! Can you imagine driving down the highway and seeing someone with a casket tied down to their car roof?

My friend did that with a mattress once. Next thing we knew it was on I-95 and we didn't notice until we were 2 miles away and got pulled over by the cops telling us what happened. OOPS.
 
The casket alone can really make or break the price of a funeral. This is why I'm opting for cremation. This may be morbid, but my parents and I have already discussed this and they have insisted on a pine box and cremation, nothing fancier than that.

I want to be cremated, but then put into a cute little box and then buried with a nice headstone. High maintenance, aren't I? :roflmfao:
 
i think it's great. yeah, it's a bit morbid to plan....but everyone dies. caskets are SO expensive and getting them wholesale can really help people on a budget who don't want to burden their kids. the funeral business preys a bit on the suddeness of death....the mark up is amazing for something that is going in the ground.
 
I saw this thread and knew what it was about before even opening it!

I am a funeral director and every once in awhile I receive a casket from Costco--you don't need to buy it in advance, people who know they are available or who are good at online comparisons run across these and can have them delivered to the funeral home directly within a couple of days. As someone said, caskets are expensive and can make or break a funeral. As with most things, I believe these caskets are made overseas which helps bring the price down. The big casket companies most (American) funeral homes use have American factories. I live in a heavy cremation area and don't much care about caskets. Myself and everyone in my family will eventually opt for cremation. There is a new thing out there, in California anyway, "green" cemeteries where you can be buried without needing a casket at all. I like this idea but those plots are more pricey that you would think. And btw: Pine can be expensive! Most solid wood is going to be more expensive then a particle board. When you buy a lower end cremation casket (can be used for burial as well), they are typically cloth covered particle board.

Thinking about these things can be a little bit scary, but def. not morbid in my opinion (natch...). Consumers are getting smarter buying *everything*, it would follow that people would start thinking about funerals. Planning ahead is worth the financial benefits and peace of mind.

EDIT: Yes, direct cremations only require cardboard. When I talk "casket", I am referring to something you would have a "viewing" in.
 
The casket alone can really make or break the price of a funeral. This is why I'm opting for cremation. This may be morbid, but my parents and I have already discussed this and they have insisted on a pine box and cremation, nothing fancier than that.

Oh, yeah... some of the really nice ones, with large brass fittings and natural silk liners, pillows and covers, excotic woods, can get VERY expensive. I did volunteer work for our local Hospice for a while, and one of the classes I took was a tour of the local mortuary. Highly educational in many way. Such as did you know most states do NOT say you have to be embalmed if you don't want to? You also don't need a special wooden box to be cremated in, there is a cardboard (I know, this sounds awful! But it's less wasteful in my mind) that they'll put the person in, and it disinigrates whrn the the fire is hot enough. You can also bring in your own container if you are just wanting the cremains back and you'll hadle them from there.

Also be careful about them telling you "Well, if you really loved your (insert relative here) I'm sure you'd prefer he/she got the very best, look at our line of (Imsert item from shoes to caskets to choice of spot for burial here)" Most people are extremely emotional and are not thinking right. I got a little lucky with Dave and Grandma, I knew what I needed before I needed it.

How do you get the casket home? Do you store it for an emergency?
Slap that puppy on top of a car, cushion with a comforter like Charles said, some rope, take it home! Just make sure it's really secure... I can see a cop freaking out from seeing an empty casket on the hiway.

Or you can put wheels on it and pull it home behind you.

^^^Lol...((((Speedy)))))), it is topics like this where our age starts to show.:yes:

Tell me about it. When I read the title, I was thinking, omg, this is something I know too much about! HA! You are REALLY old when you are ordering it for yourself!


Indeed! This is a great alternative to making your own casket from pine wood :P

If I had storage, I'd buy one. Imagine the amount of money I'd save my children, what with inflation and all that!!
Put a piece of glass on the top and make a table out of it. Or, piece of wood if you don't want people to know what it is! :P