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Sa Sa a Say y Senior enior Sen by Jim Miller Planning a Simple, Affordable Funeral Dear Savvy Senior, I’d like to make my end-of-life arrangements, but I want to keep things simple and affordable. What are my options? --86-Year-Old Dear 86, Smart thinking! Planning ahead can save your loved ones a lot of stress, and money. With a traditional burial averaging around $10,000 and a full-service cremation near $6,500, it’s easy to see why many seniors are looking for simpler, lower-cost ways to say goodbye. The good news is, there are plenty of options that are dignifi ed, straightforward, and much easier on your wallet. Here’s a look at some choices, depending on the kind of farewell you want. Direct cremation If cremation appeals to you, a direct cremation is the simplest – and usually the least expensive – option. It includes picking up the body, completing the required paperwork, the cremation itself, and returning the ashes to your family. There’s no embalming, formal viewing, or casket; a simple cardboard box called an “alternative container” is used to hold the remains. Depending on where you live and which provider you choose, direct cremation typically costs $700 to $3,500. If you want extra services, ask for an itemized price list so you know exactly what you’re paying for. Funeral homes are required by law to provide this. Immediate or direct burial If burial is your preference, an immediate or direct burial is the most basic option. The body is buried in a simple container soon after death, skipping embalming, viewings, and the use of funeral facilities. Families can still hold a memorial service at the graveside, at home, or at a place of worship without the body present. These services usually run $2,000 to $3,000, not counting cemetery fees, which can add $1,000 to $3,000. Every funeral home off ers direct burial. To find local providers, you can search online for “cremation” or “funeral” along with your city and state. You can also compare prices on sites like Funeralocity.com or Parting.com. Another handy approach is to use AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini: you can ask them to pull together lists of nearby funeral homes or cremation providers, see which services they off er, check estimated costs, and even compare options side by side – all in a matter of minutes. It’s a quick way to get a snapshot of what’s available without making a bunch of phone calls. Green burial For the environmentally minded, green burial is a simple, natural option. The body is buried in a biodegradable coffi n or shroud, without embalming chemicals or a vault. Costs typically range from $2,000 to $5,000. The Green Burial Council (greenburialcouncil.org, 888966-3330) maintains a stateby-state directory of cemeteries and funeral professionals who off er these services. Water cremation Also eco-friendly, water cremation (or alkaline hydrolysis) uses water, chemicals, and heat instead of fi re. Costs usually range from $2,000 to $3,500, and it’s legal in more than 20 states. Search “alkaline hydrolysis” to fi nd a provider near you. Donate your body If you want the lowest-cost option, consider donating your body to science. Medical schools use donated bodies for teaching and research, then return the cremated remains to your family or bury them in a local cemetery – usually free. Some schools may charge a small transport fee. To find a program in your state, check the University of Florida’s U.S. program directory at Anatbd.acb.med.ufl.edu/ usprograms, or call the WholeBody Donation Referral Service at 800-727-0700. Planning ahead gives you control, saves your family money, and ensures your fi nal wishes are honored. With these options, you can choose a farewell that’s simple, meaningful, and within your budget – and doing a little homework now makes it easier for everyone later. Send your questions or comments to questions@ savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070. nr ior THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, OCTObER 23, 2026 BEACON | FROM PAGE 16 quirements relating to the carry and transport of fi rearms in motor vehicles and ATVs. It prohibits the carrying of fi rearms in government buildings, polling locations and schools, with certain exceptions; and criminalizes discharging a fi rearm and striking a building in use. WHAT SUPPORTERS TOLD BEACON HILL ROLL CALL “A ‘Yes’ vote on Question 9 will protect Massachusetts’ lifesaving 2024-gun safety law and maintain critical safeguards that help keep our communities safe from gun violence,” said a spokesperson for ‘Yes’ for a Safe Massachusetts. “The 2024 law established vital protections against untraceable ghost guns and dangerous conversion kits that turn semi-automatic weapons into machine guns. It expanded our Extreme Risk Protection Order laws to help prevent fi rearms suicides and mass shootings. It created a publicly available data dashboard that helps us better understand where guns come from and how they are used. Opponents of the 2024 law, backed by the gun lobby, are spreading fear and disinformation in an eff ort to roll back these lifesaving measures, falsely characterizing strong gun safety policies as an attack on constitutional rights. Let’s be clear: the 2024 law maintains a clear pathway for legal, law-abiding gun ownership in Massachusetts while establishing essential guardrails that address new technology and emerging threats facing individuals, families and communities. The ‘Yes’ on 9 for a Safe Massachusetts campaign has built a diverse, grassroots coalition of supporters, including more than 160 endorsements from labor unions, law enforcement, anti-violence organizations, faith communities, elected leaders and more. We have hundreds of volunteers working to reach voters across Massachusetts, and just launched our newest digital ad, underscoring what’s at stake on November 3. With Election Day approaching, Massachusetts voters have an opportunity to maintain strong, lifesaving gun safety policies and keep our state a national leader on gun violence prevention. Vote ‘Yes’ on Question 9 to protect the health, Page 17 safety, and freedom of everyone in Massachusetts.” WHAT OPPONENTS TOLD BEACON HILL ROLL CALL “Does the state Legislature have the power to fundamentally change any of our constitutionally enumerated rights?” asked Toby Leary chair of the Civil Rights Coalition. “If the answer is ‘No,’ then you should vote ‘No’ on 9. This omnibus law (over 116 pages long) is only designed to regulate lawful people. It does not address the criminal element, and solely focuses on more delays, more cost and strict penalties for people not in compliance. Putting good people in jail for technical violations of Chapter 135 does not make us safer. Putting away violent criminals does, and that should be the focus of the Legislature. Polling suggests that 73% of likely voters in Massachusetts support the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. This comes down to a Constitutional question for a lot of voters. If the government can fundamentally change this right, do we really have rights? Or are there just privileges granted by state legislatures that can, at any time, alter and change how they are exercised? The Civil Rights Coalition and the No on 9 campaign is committed to repealing Chapter 135 in its entirety...When we are successful, Massachusetts will still have the strictest gun control laws in the nation. We will still have background checks, red fl ag laws, licenses, assault weapons ban, magazine capacity bans, government-mandated classes, and more. Massachusetts will return back to one of the lowest fi rearm-related death rates in the nation. Chapter 135 is a solution in search of a problem.” WHAT YOUR VOTE DOES: A “Yes” vote would keep in place the current law, which increases the regulation of fi rearms, including ghost guns, machine guns and assault-style weapons. A “No” vote would repeal this current law. ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL FIREFIGHTERS AND CANCER SCREENINGS (S 3284) – The Senate approved, on a voice vote without a roll call, a bill mandating free insurance coverage of cancer screenings for firefi ghters. The fi refi ghters would not be subject to co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or any out-of-pocket expenses. The House approved a diff erent version of the measure in July and the Senate version now goes to the House for consideration. The screenings would cover colon cancer, lung cancer, bladder cancer, oral cancer, thyroid cancer, skin cancer, blood cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, testicular cancer and prostate cancer. The measure provides that the first screening would be conducted no later than three years after the fi refi ghter starts the job, with subsequent screenings occurring every three years. “Firefi ghters deal with it all— repeated exposure to smoke, fumes and toxic PFAS, ‘forever chemicals,’ in their turnout gear—so they can save lives and protect all of us Massachusetts residents,” said Senate Ways and Means chair Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport) who authored this redraft of a version that the House approved in July. “They deserve to know that we have their backs. The passage of this bill today is a vitally important step forward to protect fi refi ghters’ health, safety and dignity. We got here by building on the dedicated advocacy of fi rst responders and families who experienced the tragic toll of line-of-duty illness. There is no question that this legislation will save lives.” Supporters said that fi refi ghters are more likely to get cancer than the general public and argued that these heroes need and must have early and regular access to life-saving cancer screenings. They noted that the Occupational Cancer Research Centre attributes higher rates of sickness to greater exposure to cancer-causing hazards through inhalation of smoke, combustion by-productions and PFAS used in fi re protection gear. Rep. John Lawn (D-Watertown), the House chair of the Committee on Health Care Financing and the sponsor of the original House version of the bill, did not respond to repeated requests from Beacon Hill Roll Call asking him why he sponsored the original measure and how he feels about the Senate version. LOBULAR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS DAY (S 2666) – The Senate approved and sent BEACON | SEE PAGE 18

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