May 5, 2026
When your mother makes a dying wish, chances are good you'll want to do what you can to make it come true.
But what happens if that wish is to spend $25,000 on a lavish funeral, including features like $500 for custom video creation?
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That's the dilemma Jeff from Austin faced. He visited a funeral home with his mother, who lives on $1,600 in Social Security and owns only a dilapidated home. The funeral home suggested the family cover the $25,000 cost through a payment plan, but Jeff wasn't sure it was the right move.
He turned to financial guru Dave Ramsey (1) for advice, and Ramsey didn't mince words.
'You did not live your life in a Mercedes'
Ramsey was blunt. After confirming that Jeff would bemaking payments because Mom doesn't have the money, he quickly rejected the idea.
"If she wants to spend HER money on her funeral, I don't mind that," Ramsey said. "But I'm not going to pay for it out of my pocket if I'm you. I think that's absurd."
Ramsey advised Jeff to sit down with his mom and tell her the funeral should cost no more than $5,000 to $6,000. He said Jeff should prepare to pay for it after she dies, but should make sure he's reimbursed when the house sells. He also said Jeff should ensure this deal is clearly stated in the will.
He also told Jeff to talk some sense into his mom and urge her not to spend "the last $25,000 you have on this earth for the funeral home to have a profit."
Ramsey even suggested Jeff tell her: "Mom, you did not live your life in a Mercedes, and you shouldn't die in a Mercedes."
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Should you prepay for a funeral?
Ramsey wasn't just against Jeff spending $25,000 to fulfill his mom's wish. He actually didn't believe Jeff or his mom should make any payments to a funeral home before her death.
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While he said preplanning a funeral and potentially prepurchasing burial plots can make sense, Ramsey warned against prepaying for funeral expenses.
"Do not write a check prepaying the funeral home because from that point forward, you make $0 on your money except for the inflation rate on a funeral," Ramsey said.
He argued that prepaying carries a high opportunity cost compared with investing the money, adding that you could end up with final expenses that are the equivalent of the burial costs of King Tut.
Most people already seem to follow this advice. The Funeral Information Council (2) says just 17% of people over 40 have made any prearrangements, even though 69% say they'd prefer to have a plan before they pass.
How much should a funeral cost?
If you don't prepay, how much should you budget when the time comes?
According to the National Funeral Directors Association (3), the national median price of a funeral with a viewing and burial was $8,300 in 2023, while the median cost with cremation was $6,280.
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Policygenius (4) reported similar numbers in 2026: $7,848 on average for a funeral with a casket and $6,970 for a funeral with cremation.
The Federal Trade Commission (5) says providers are allowed to charge a basic service fee for the essentials like permits, funeral planning, sheltering the remains, preparing notices and obtaining death certificates.
They can also charge for optional services, like caskets, viewings and transporting the body to the cemetery. However, funeral homes are required by law to provide itemized statements of total costs of goods and services and must disclose in writing if they charge additional fees, though they don't have to specify the amount.
As far as what services each family should actually purchase, Ramsey had some advice for Jeff that everyone should follow.
"I really would advise her to spend money on the funeral, appropriate to her situation. There's no gain spiritually in what you spend on a funeral."
Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
YouTube (1); Funeral Information Council (2); National Funeral Directors Association (3); Policygenius (4); Federal Trade Commission (5)
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Christy Bieber has 15 years of experience as a personal finance and legal writer. She has written for many publications including Forbes, Kilplinger, CNN, WSJ, Credit Karma, Insurify and more.
