No one wants to think about dying, but taking the time to make your funeral plans in advance can help those who face life after you're gone stay out of debt and work through a troubling time with a plan in place. Here are the four steps you should take to plan your funeral. 

Start Planning At Home

The first thing to do is to start talking about your plans with family members. You need to discuss:

• The costs of the funeral
• Where you want to have the funeral
• Where the burial site is
• The religion or lack of religion you want the funeral to include
• Your budget

Start Looking Into Your Options

The next thing to do is to start looking into your options. You'll need to decide on a few things, like:

1. Will you want to be cremated or buried?
2. Would you prefer embalming? It's not required by law, but it's helpful if the funeral will take place weeks after your death. 
3. Will you want a public or private viewing?
4. Where should the viewing be?

Start Checking Costs and Shopping 

Now, you should start looking into the cost of the funeral and the things you want. Check multiple funeral homes, because each may have different prices and things they offer. 

Under federal law, funeral homes are required to give you a printed and itemized quote as well as a price quote over the phone. With this method, you can see where your money is going and choose the options that stay within your budget. 

Start Organizing the Plan

The final thing to do is to organize the plan. You'll probably need to talk to a funeral plan director, like those at DiPonzio Funeral Home Inc or elsewhere, or discuss your plan with a lawyer to confirm it. Remember to talk to the people who are likely to survive you; they'll need to know what to do if something goes wrong, like if the funeral home is booked or if costs have risen since your plan was organized. 

Remember to keep your documents organized; it can help to have multiple print-outs that each family member has on hand, so they know what to do if you pass away. 

This is a four-step plan to creating the funeral you want before you ever need to worry about death. Take the time to create this plan while you're healthy; it will save the ones you love from stress and unseen expenses at the time of your death.