Since this has started off to be a pf blog, here's a money-take on what my family and I are going through right now:

According to a recent survey by The Cremation Association of North America (CANA), 46% of Americans plan to choose cremation rather than traditional burial for themselves or their loved ones. Furthermore, the association predicts that by 2010 cremations in the U.S. will represent 46% up from 26.6% in 2000, with urban areas having higher cremation rates than rural areas. Specialists attribute the trend to issues ranging from less expensive (24%) to land preservation (17%). CANA found other reasons as well. Cremation tends to be simpler and more convenient.

"A basic cremation costs between $1,200 and $1,400, which is about 75% cheaper than a casket funeral, and is easier to arrange," explains Eric White, a spokesman for the Internet Cremation Society (ICS; www.cremation.org).


... and to be clear, financial reasons are not the only reason why we've chosen to go this route.