Where are you going to be buried?

Yep we are talking about the deep six here or as we prefer to call it pushing up daisies.  Trust us this subject is the one that every single time you want to get the kids and under 40 years old crowd finding somewhere to go to not be around to discuss a subject this one will do it.  We know from experience and we expect others do too that when someone is under 40 years old they are convinced they are immortal, as in never die, never get terminal illness, never get killed by accident, and nothing they might do food wise, daring wise, or in a car is remotely by any chance going to make them dead.   Death is something others do and we will avoid such a fate is what they think so therefore no conversation about where you are going to be buried is needed.  I mean the young crowd continues to text and drive, right? 

Once one gets past say 45 years old you realize at some point that like it or not you will die and glory be there are places and events that you should avoid, and then know should have avoided earlier, that can bring death quickly.  Fear enters the vocabulary, where it was not there before.  Note females find this immortal stuff much earlier than males. 

So once someone comes to grip with you are going to die the need arises as to where you are going to be buried.  Yes some of us have decided to be cremated or some other means of body disposal but they too will need some place for their body to spend eternity.  Our family has discussed this issue for some time as we expect many of you who are older have as well.  With so many people now no longer in the area they were born or grew up the discussion can be no more than to be buried where we are now or back home where we grew up.  Others who stayed where they have lived all their lives for the most part can narrow this decision down to which cemetery.  Trust me here this is serious decision making if you have not considered the options. 

Where do you want your body to spend eternity?  Will someone build a road there and move us?  Will it flood is an important consideration if living in say New Orleans?  Will it be in the church yard cemetery?  How about the old family cemetery?   Tough huh? Well Small Town Investor is here to help you with this decision as we have been there and yes we have decided. 

Ok, the most important part believe it or not is will someone keep up the 10 square feet of ground or so under which you are to be placed.  Old family cemeteries tend to get forgotten and grown over.  We know we got some in our family we used to help keep up and now we would not step foot in due to the fear of vermin and such.  There goes that fear thing again.  So pick a general maintained large cemetery or even better one owned by a government agency.  Government agencies are a slam dunk for future maintenance and trust us here too, about 50 years from your passing almost no one will ever visit your grave site again as the immediate family will mostly be gone. Even before immediate family is gone the last thing they want to do on a Saturday off is cleaning up a cemetery plot. 

Next up is what location, either in place where you are now or back home where you think you might belong.  We decided on the back home idea, but for reasons that might help you decide too.  Costs as in cemetery land costs have gotten quite high recently.  If you think funerals are expensive check out some burial plots now.  In our area a simple plot can cost you a couple thousand dollars or more.  We believe, and we expect those who will put you in the ground and inherit whatever you leave behind, will in the end be pleased you kept the burial plot costs low.  

This would be a good time to go to that drawer with all the stuff you inherited from your parents or other relatives and find in one of those drawers deep down buried under all those other legal documents that burial plot for dear deceased relative.  We are betting you already own a piece of ground. Personally we found that we own, get this, three separate plots in two cemeteries.  We found one that has three spots left, and two with one spot left.  All three plots free and freely maintained forever.    That saves maybe $5000 right off the top. So take a look and see if you can find something similar. 

The final consideration here is which location is best.  Nearer family?  Close to home?  Close to your hometown?  Well truth is again visiting your burial place is not high on family lists at any time.  Maybe on special occasions, maybe on holidays, but do not expect to have flowers to be placed on your behalf there often.  But seriously who cares about the flowers thing, as the point on location is what location makes you happiest now not later.   So pick your choice, but find a well maintained place, and hopefully like us you can find something already owned, which saves money. 

Now are you not glad you read this posting?