Our Weekly Tip: How to Find Low Cost Grave Markers

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Our Tip of the Week: Headstones, sometimes called grave markers or tombstones, are usually purchased from the funeral home. The funeral home then orders your marker. You pay not only what the other company charges the funeral home. You also pay a hefty mark up added by the funeral home. This increases your out-of-pocket costs considerably.

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Federal law states that you can purchase your own markers and caskets without having to go through the funeral home. You can make your purchase online or you can work with a local stone cutter or artisan. Often, you will be able to get what you want for as little as $100 to $200. These markers may be upright or flat or even shaped in an original design — a dog or cat for an animal lover, for instance.

How-to Suggestion: Before you order your marker, speak to the officials at the cemetery where your loved one will be buried. They may have regulations that forbid the use of certain kinds of headstones. Some cemeteries, for instance, do not allow upright markers. This makes mowing the cemetery easier for their employees.