If we’re not thinking about planning funerals at funeral homes in Beltsville, MD, we should be. It doesn’t matter how old or young we are, we should always live with the end in mind. As morbid as that may sound, it is actually one of the smartest things we can do and it is also a wonderful gift that we can give to our families.

How old are you? If you’re old enough to be reading this, then you’re old enough to start planning your own funeral. You may be young and healthy. However, time and chance happens to us all, and if something happens to you today, tomorrow, or next week, and you have your funeral planned, then you have the assurance that your funeral will be just what you want and that your family will be spared the stress and worry, amid their grieving, of trying to figure out what you would have wanted.

One thing that many Americans who put off planning their funerals don’t consider is how much of a burden that lack of planning puts on their families at a time when they are in shock and overwhelmed with everything. Planning your funeral now is an incredibly powerful way to take care of your family, even after you die.

So, how do you go about starting to plan for your funeral?

If you’re between the ages of 20 and 40, are married, have children, and are the primary wage earner in your household, consider the impact on your family if you died suddenly. Investing in life insurance and making sure to begin to build a healthy savings account and to set up investment accounts are two smart ways to plan for the end.

Life insurance rates are much cheaper the younger and healthier you are, so you can lock in rates for whole life insurance policies at very affordable costs compared to purchasing them when you’re older and may have more health issues that will increase the rates you’ll pay substantially.

Putting a set amount of your income into savings and investment accounts is a habit that you should begin early. No matter what other expenses come up, you should try to make sure to put something in these accounts each month, since these will be accounts that your family can immediately use after you die. Don’t forget to set up educational funding accounts for your children as well.

As you enter middle age, if you haven’t begun planning for your own funeral, you are likely to be jolted into thinking about it as your parents and other older family members become elderly and may develop serious health problems or die. Additionally, you may find that more people in your age group – perhaps even friends or relatives – are dying more frequently, and that will surely be a wakeup call to consider your own death and what you want when you die.

If you don’t have life insurance, you can purchase it, even though it will require a health exam and will cost more than it would have cost when you were younger. You should also consider purchasing funeral insurance, which has relatively affordable rates, to cover your final expenses. If you haven’t been putting much income into savings, investment, and retirement accounts, now is the time to do that, especially if your children are grown and you are no longer paying for college or otherwise having to support them.

If you’d like to know more about planning funerals at funeral homes in Beltsville, MD, you can talk with our knowledgeable team at Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A. You can visit our funeral home at 4400 Powder Mill Rd., Beltsville, MD, 20705, or you can call us today at (301) 937-1707.