One of the kindest things you can do for your loved ones is to plan your own funeral while you're still around. You don't have to hammer out every detail, but if you can at least choose a funeral home, plan a basic service, and let your wishes about cremation or burial be known, you'll take so much worry off the shoulders of those you leave behind.
The first step is, of course, choosing a funeral home. You should talk to a few different funeral directors and ultimately choose a place where you feel comfortable. As you do so, just make sure you don't skip these important steps.
Let your budget be known.
As you visit various funeral homes, make sure you tell the funeral director what your overall budget is. This way, they can recommend services that fit into your budget from the get-go. You may find that one funeral home is able to offer you more for your money than other funeral homes. You don't want to select a certain funeral home based on the services they offer and then find out the cost is higher than expected.
Talk to your relatives.
While your funeral will be a celebration and honor of your life, your relatives and friends will be the ones attending. So, ask for their input before you select a funeral home. If someone in your family feels a strong attachment to a certain funeral home, you might want to choose that one. If a certain family member feels uncomfortable at a certain funeral home for whatever reason, then that is one you may not want to pick. Make your own decision, but do invite your relatives to weigh in.
Make sure they'll work with your chosen religious leaders.
If you are a religious person and plan on having religious leaders involved in the funeral, then you want to ask funeral directors whether they are willing to work with those religious directors. Most funeral homes are happy to work with those of any and all faiths, but there are exceptions, so it does not hurt to be sure. You may want to ask your religious leader for a list of funeral homes they work with and go from there.
If you are sure to complete the steps above when choosing a funeral home, then you'll be leaving your loved ones behind with a good plan at a place that can suit your needs and theirs.