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Page 14 avvya yavvy eniiooravvy S iorn or vvy io iori by Jim Miller How Much Does an Average Funeral Cost? Dear Savvy Senior, How much does a typical funeral and body burial cost today? My wife and I are interested in prearranging our funerals but would like to have a cost idea before going in so we can plan and budget appropriately. Planning Ahead Dear Planning, It definitely pays to know what charges to expect when pre-planning a funeral. Most people don’t have a clue and can often be upsold thousands of dollars’ worth of extra services they may not want or need. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect. Funeral Prices The fi rst thing you need to be aware of is that funeral costs will vary considerably depending on your geographic location, the funeral home you choose and the funeral choices you make. With that said, here’s a breakdown of what an average funeral costs, nationwide, according to the most recent data from the National Funeral Directors Association. Professional services fee: This is a basic non-declinable fee that covers the funeral provider’s time, expertise and overhead: $2,300. Transfer of the remains: This is for picking up the body and taking it to the funeral home: $350 Embalming and body preparation: Embalming is usually mandatory for open-casket viewing, otherwise it’s not required unless the body is going to be transported across state lines. Embalming costs $775. Other body preparations, which includes hairdressing and cosmetics runs $275. Funeral viewing and ceremony: If the viewing and funeral ceremony is at the funeral home, you’ll be charged for use of the chapel and any necessary staff . Costs: $450 for viewing, and $515 for funeral ceremony. Metal casket: This is a big money maker for funeral homes, with markups of up to 300 percent over the wholesale price: $2,500. Funeral transportation: Use of hearse and driver; $325 to transport the body to the cemetery. Use of a service car/van: $150. Memorial printed package: This includes printed programs and memorial guest book: $183. In addition to these costs, there are also a number of cemetery costs like the plot or mausoleum fee, the vault or grave liner that most cemeteries require, and the opening and closing of the grave, all of which can run between $2,000 and $3,000; and the gravestone, which typically runs between $1,000 and $3,000. You’ll also need to budget for related expenses like fl owers for the funeral ($200 to $400), the newspaper obituary fee ($100 to $800 or more), the clergy honorarium ($200 to $300) and extra copies of the death certifi cate ($5 to $35 per copy depending on the state). All told, the average cost of a total U.S. funeral today with viewing and cemetery burial is around $12,000. Ways to Save If this is more than you’re willing or able to pay, there are ways to save. For starters, you should know that prices can vary signifi - cantly by funeral provider, so it’s wise to shop around. If you need some help, there are websites you can turn to like Parting.com that lets you easily compare prices online based on what you want. When evaluating funeral providers, be sure you get an itemized price list of services and products so you can accurately compare and choose what you want. The most signifi cant way to save is to request a “direct burial” or “direct cremation.” With these options you and your wife would be buried or cremated shortly after death, which skips the embalming and viewing. If you want a memorial service, you can have it at the graveside or at your place of worship without the body. These services usually run between $1,000 and $3,000, not counting cemetery charges. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, October 14, 2022 BHRC | FROM PAGE 9 the call, the “pollster” asks questions related to an opposing candidate for public offi ce which state, imply or convey negative and often untrue information about the candidate’s character, status or political stance or record, with the intent of “pushing” the interviewee toward adopting an unfavorable opinion of the candidate. Anyone violating the law would be fi ned up to $1,000. Supporters say that push polls are misleading and should be highly regulated. Sponsor Rep. Jim Murphy (D-Weymouth) did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call to comment on why he fi led the bill and how he feels about its defeat. ALLOW SOME FELONS TO VOTE (H 829) – Would allow jailed felons to vote in elections unless they were convicted of indecent assault and battery on a child; attempt to commit murder by poison, drowning or strangulation; murder; manslaughter or assault with intent to commit rape; or any other crime for which the person may be punished by imprisonment in a state prison for life. Currently, the state’s constitution prohibits all convicted felons currently in prison from voting. Supporters say the current law goes too far and should only apply to the worst of felons. Sponsor Rep. Dave Rogers (D-Cambridge) did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call to comment on why he fi led the bill and how he feels about its defeat. QUOTABLE QUOTES HAPPY CRANBERRY MONTH - Gov. Charlie Baker declared October as “Massachusetts Cranberry Month.” “The Baker-Polito Administration is proud to support cranberry growers, who make signifi cant contributions to the commonwealth’s agricultural sector and local economies. Our local growers are true stewards of the land, implementing the latest in proprietary technology and equipment to harvest their fruit, and utilizing innovative methods that conserve water and protect Massachusetts’ natural resources.” --- Energy and Environmental Aff airs Secretary Beth Card. “As a side dish at Thanksgiving dinner, served dried on oatmeal or salads, or enjoyed in a glass in juice form, cranberries are a mighty multi-purpose fruit with enormous health benefits. Autumn in Massachusetts is a special time for many reasons, but chief among them is the breathtaking scenery and imagery that takes shape across ‘Cranberry Country’ in Southeastern Massachusetts when the harvest season is in full swing and bogs are awash in crimson.” --- Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner John Lebeaux. “The hard-working cranberry growers of Massachusetts are honored that the Baker-Polito Administration is once again recognizing October as cranberry month in the commonwealth. Despite the signifi cant drought that impacted many of our cranberry farms this growing season, with some recent rain events, along with resourceful and innovative growers, we are excited for an expected good cranberry crop this year.” --- Brian Wick, Executive Director of ~ Legal Notice ~ MVRCS is seeking responses from qualified, licensed bidders for replacement of concrete stairs located at 729 Salem Street, Malden, MA. Responses are to be delivered to: Mystic Valley Regional Charter School, 4 Laurel Street, Malden, MA 02148, Julie Aloise/RFR FY23-100. Any questions, please contact Julie-Anne Aloise at jaloise@mvrcs.org. RFR Release Date Response Deadline Bid Opening (4 Laurel Street, Malden, MA) 12-Oct-22 3-Nov-22 3-Nov-22 October 14, 2022 – LEGAL NOTICE – the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association. “I am extremely pleased to be celebrating October 2022 as Massachusetts Cranberry Month. The commonwealth’s cranberry industry has historically served as one of our most abundant statewide agricultural sectors - especially in the Southeast region I proudly represent. With Massachusetts responsible for over one-fi fth of our country’s domestic cranberry production, I am glad we are taking the opportunity to recognize the valuable opportunities that this agricultural sector continues to provide for our commonwealth.” --- Sen. Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton). HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK'S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature's job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible latenight sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of October 3-7, the House met for a total of 23 minutes and the Senate met for a total of 40 minutes. Mon. Oct. 3 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:16 a.m. Senate 11:12 a.m. to 11:25 a.m. Tues.Oct. 4 House session No Senate session Wed. Oct. 5 No House session No Senate session Thurs. Oct. 6 House 11:10 a.m. to 11:18 a.m. Senate 11:10 a.m. to 11:37 a.m. Fri. Oct. 7 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com Bob founded Beacon Hill Roll Call in 1975 and was inducted into the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) Hall of Fame in 2019. City of Malden, Massachusetts PUBLIC HEARING FOR MALDEN COMMUNITY ELECTRICITY The City of Malden will hold a public hearing on Thursday, November 3, 2022 at 6:00 pm Eastern Time (US and Canada) on the Malden Community Electricity Plan. Malden Community Electricity will be a municipal aggregation program, authorized under M.G.L. c.164 section 134. You may participate in person at Malden City Hall, 215 Pleasant St, Room #105, Malden, MA or remotely on Zoom by registering ahead of time at https://cityofmalden.zoom. us/webinar/register/WN_CBt_p5mJTg-VzM_Ru5rV6w. A copy of the Plan is available for public review at https://maldencommunityelectricity.com/ and in the Public Facilities Office, 215 Pleasant St, 5th floor – Room 530, Malden, MA. Please direct any questions ahead of time to the Public Facilities Office, 781-397-7032. Eric Rubin, Public Facilities Director October 14, 2022

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