People really don’t like talking about death. It’s an uncomfortable topic and, because of that, it never gets discussed in families. The funeral home industry capitalizes on this. That’s not to say there are not good people in the industry. But consumers end up spending a fortune on last minute arrangements because they never made plans for loved ones, and funeral homes can charge whatever they’d like. Now, you can ask to see a price list and the funeral home is required by law to show you one. But you can get much better deals if you purchase a casket or urn ahead of time. The best deals come from a non-profit funeral society, which you can join anytime for a one-time fee. These organizations get a group discount on items and they allow you to buy exactly what you want. People typically save 80 percent this way. That’s a lot when you consider that the average funeral costs $8,000.