Help Stuck. costs of a death?

[Noel]

I feel stuck. Having a plan to end my life used to be comforting. But now it's stressful. It's expensive to die.. and I don't want that on my family. Honestly when I die I wish they could legally bury me in the backyard. I even (had to say it in a somewhat jokingly tone) told my mom that I didn't want a bunch of money spent on my death if I die before her (she doesn't know I think about suicide). She told me she didn't think it was legal to bury someone in the backyard and I told her I didn't want lots of money spent and she mentioned cremation.

I want to save up money so that I can leave behind money to cover my death. I know to many people it may not matter because once you're dead, you're dead. But to me it matters. As conflicted as I am I don't think I can end my life until I have a certain amount saved up to cover my own death.
Does anyone else think this sort of stuff?

I'm not suicidal, but I do often feel like that'll be how I die. And it was always comforting to me to know I had a way out of life. But for some reason lately it's harder for me because I feel like I can't leave this life unless I pay for my death.

 

[smalls_world]

You're thinking too much. After you're dead nothing is going to mean anything to you. If you're that worried about what's going to happen after you die you're not that interesting in dying after all.

 

[Done]

I understand what you're saying. Do you think though that when you die, your family will all chip in for the expenses? I've actually told my family the same, that if I were to die I want to be cremated, because once we're dead what's the point of viewing the body and burying it? It just seems really bizarre personally.

But anyway, according to Google, cremation costs anywhere from $600 - $3,000 with the average cost being around $1,100. That's not much at all. If you fall below a certain income, Medicaid can also cover the expenses (in the US). I had an aunt pass away a few months ago and medicaid paid for everything. Just saying that there are options. But you do mention you are not suicidal. So if you're not suicidal but feel you will die due to suicide, I'm guessing that means you have time to save some money. And if cremation is the route you decide to take, I can't imagine it would take years to get together around $1,000.

 

[Noel]

You're thinking too much. After you're dead nothing is going to mean anything to you. If you're that worried about what's going to happen after you die you're not that interesting in dying after all.

I just don't feel its right that anyone pays for my death if it was by my choice. You make a point though.

 

[Noel]

I understand what you're saying. Do you think though that when you die, your family will all chip in for the expenses? I've actually told my family the same, that if I were to die I want to be cremated, because once we're dead what's the point of viewing the body and burying it? It just seems really bizarre personally.

But anyway, according to Google, cremation costs anywhere from $600 - $3,000 with the average cost being around $1,100. That's not much at all. If you fall below a certain income, Medicaid can also cover the expenses (in the US). I had an aunt pass away a few months ago and medicaid paid for everything. Just saying that there are options. But you do mention you are not suicidal. So if you're not suicidal but feel you will die due to suicide, I'm guessing that means you have time to save some money. And if cremation is the route you decide to take, I can't imagine it would take years to get together around $1,000.

I wouldn't want my family chipping in for it if it was suicide.

Yes I do have time to save money and yeah I am not suicidal so that's what's nice is that since I feel like I may probably die from suicide, I at least have time to set aside money.

It's weird I never used to think about this stuff before. I used to just view it as suicide is the end and that's that. I didn't care about anything else.

 

[Deleted_9cKnXB34QG]

Can't you donate your body to a medical school or something? Don't they cover the cremation expanses after they've uh... "used" you?

I don't live in murica so IDK, but I've heard that this is an option. In my country the government (aka tax payers) pays for the funeral and everything.

 

[Lara Francis]

It is so so expensive to have a funeral and purchase a headstone.
This was highlighted on the news yesterday in the UK saying people's body's were being left at the hospital or funeral directors because their family simply could not afford the funeral and had to save up.my husbands funeral and stone will probably end up costing next to £8000 which is a lot. All I can say is "its a good job you only die once!".

 

[Dip]

It is so so expensive to have a funeral and purchase a headstone.
This was highlighted on the news yesterday in the UK saying people's body's were being left at the hospital or funeral directors because their family simply could not afford the funeral and had to save up.my husbands funeral and stone will probably end up costing next to £8000 which is a lot. All I can say is "its a good job you only die once!".

Given the declining real incomes (incomes relative to real inflation) in most countries and the sheer number of people in the world I wonder how long it will be before mass graves become commonplace.

 

[Lara Francis]

This is true.I was told that grave space was running out and in year's to come,cremation would be the only option.so glad I Have a family plot so I can just be put in soon.

 

[Dip]

This is true.I was told that grave space was running out and in year's to come,cremation would be the only option.so glad I Have a family plot so I can just be put in soon.

And when you can no longer afford to even cremate the bodies...

 

[Jonnydoeuk]

I feel stuck. Having a plan to end my life used to be comforting. But now it's stressful. It's expensive to die.. and I don't want that on my family. Honestly when I die I wish they could legally bury me in the backyard. I even (had to say it in a somewhat jokingly tone) told my mom that I didn't want a bunch of money spent on my death if I die before her (she doesn't know I think about suicide). She told me she didn't think it was legal to bury someone in the backyard and I told her I didn't want lots of money spent and she mentioned cremation.

I want to save up money so that I can leave behind money to cover my death. I know to many people it may not matter because once you're dead, you're dead. But to me it matters. As conflicted as I am I don't think I can end my life until I have a certain amount saved up to cover my own death.
Does anyone else think this sort of stuff?

I'm not suicidal, but I do often feel like that'll be how I die. And it was always comforting to me to know I had a way out of life. But for some reason lately it's harder for me because I feel like I can't leave this life unless I pay for my death.

Here in the UK they do an option called Direct Cremation circa costs are around £2k and that gets you taken to the cremation yard at a time of their choosing usually first thing in the morn you can have a service but the service time is directed by the funeral directors hence could be 8am , considering the average cost of a funeral is 4/5k upwards I've alreasy made it clear to my family what I want - and besides I'm leaving all my money to my parents in their bank account which will leave me with nothing and as such can afford the luxury of a paupers funeral

 

[Smilla]

I like the idea of medical school donation or even to a body farm where they study decomposition of human remains.

 

[Aponia & Ataraxia]

I've always advocated the Aokigahara mechanism (not the physical location itself), although I cannot sensibly advocate it unless one has either barbiturates and/or nitrogen. If you have the good methods and take all necessary precautions, the whole experience can be very deeply rewarding, existentially. Using the weather/seasons and astronomical bodies as clocks. I'm now in my "victory lap" phase and have enough spare cash to spend a couple weeks travelling, camping, and enjoying all the modern conveniences of a hotel at the end. The area I'm going to is very low population density and I can finally enjoy my own company, nostalgia, stillness, solitude, music. Knowing the area, I can say with 100% certainty that I will be the only human to occupy that particular square mile for all eternity.

Realizing that one is going to die one day, our human consciousness is irreducibly subjective (thus we have always been alone with ourselves), and that we only ever have direct experience within a fleeting present, --these facts alone brought me to this conclusion, so now I am free of negative emotion. As I begin travelling perhaps the most rewarding is knowing I am of sound mind, and although I am officially renouncing my human experience I draw a lot of pleasure from using the irreducible subjectivity of my consciousness to enjoy the small things along the way.

I am happy now. I get to gracefully exit not only my own existence, but also the sweet taste of victory escaping human society completely (and saying "hi" to fellow hikers and patting their cute dogs along the way... and I'm definitely going to ride a merry-go-round). Death denial is the primary scourge of humanity, and only autotelic activity makes any sense.

 

[Dip]

I like the idea of medical school donation or even to a body farm where they study decomposition of human remains.

Call me a spiteful misanthrope, but I'd rather that wild dogs devour my carcass than let another human make use of it.

EDIT: fortunately in my case (living on my own) by the time they find my body it will likely have decomposed too much to harvest any organs anyway.