Funeral Planning & Obituary Pack

Planning a funeral usually happens in the same few days as the shock of a death. Families are asked to make dozens of decisions in one meeting and to write an obituary overnight.

This pack breaks it into small, calm steps — and gives you words when you don't have any.

• 17-page printable workbook (PDF): first-decisions checklist, your rights under the FTC Funeral Rule (get prices by phone, buy only what you want, bring your own casket or urn), funeral home comparison sheet and 14 questions to ask, budget planner, service planner and order of service, obituary fact sheet, fill-in obituary template and 3 example obituaries, eulogy outline and delivery tips, announcement wording, thank-you note wording and tracker.
• Editable templates (Word / Google Docs): 6 obituary templates (short, traditional, celebration of life, veteran, online, private service), eulogy template, funeral program / order of service, announcement wording (text, social, email, workplace), 10 thank-you notes.
• Budget & trackers (Excel / Google Sheets / Numbers): compare up to 3 funeral homes with auto totals, budget vs. actual, thank-you tracker, flowers & gifts log, to-do list.

Why it helps: the national median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial was $8,300 in 2023 (NFDA). Knowing your rights and comparing two providers before the arrangement meeting is the easiest way to avoid paying for things you didn't choose.