THE DEATH DISPATCH
OCTOBER 4, 2026 · MADE FOR THE LIVING
Your funeral. Your budget.
This week, you get to be picky about your own funeral.
A viewing. A casket. A car for the family. Each choice has a price. Start with the things you want, then work out what they’d cost.
This week’s task: build a budget, save a copy, and tell one person where to find it.
01 / PUT IT TO USE
Price your funeral, item by item.
MORTL’s Funeral Cost Planner lets you choose burial, cremation with a viewing, or direct burial or cremation. Check the items you want. Edit the amounts. Watch the total change.
Free to use and download. No account required. Get a PDF, a Word file, or a printed copy.
The starting amounts use national medians from the NFDA’s 2023 study where available. They’re planning estimates. Ask providers for actual prices, including cemetery costs.
02 / KNOW WHAT YOU CAN ASK FOR
You can ask the price first.
Under the FTC Funeral Rule, covered funeral homes must give you price information over the phone. You can also get an itemized General Price List to keep when you visit.
Try this when you call:
“I’m comparing funeral costs. Please give me an itemized price for these services and tell me what the total leaves out.”
03 / THE QUICK CHECK
Can a funeral home require you to buy its casket?
Finish with one conversation.
Send your budget to the person who would help with arrangements. Tell them which choices matter to you and where you saved the file.
Want an organized record of your contacts, document locations, and wishes? The Folder is $59 once, with family sharing for up to five trusted people. Your funeral budget stays free.
NEXT SUNDAY
Who gets called when you die?
We’ll use MORTL’s Who to Notify tool to make a priority list of the people and organizations your family may need to contact.
If someone came to mind while you read this, forward it to them.
Stephanie Werner
Founder & CEO, MORTL | You’re Going to Die. Let’s Talk About It.
Quiz answer: No. A funeral home covered by the FTC Funeral Rule can’t require you to buy its casket. It must accept one bought elsewhere without charging a handling fee. Source: FTC.
Get next Sunday’s task.
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