Preplanning one's death

Almost no one is prepared for death when it comes.  We do not know when death will come.  It is part of life and yet most people do not want to think about it and/or consider death.  It's off somewhere in the distant future.  So we put it on the back burner, the far back burner of life.  When death does occur the survivors are often overcome with grief.  It is very hard to think clearly.  We are not in any condition to shop around or comparison shop.  Only 28% of Americans have preplanned and/or prepaid for their final arrangements after death occurs.  For survivors therefore having to make the arrangements it is like learning a foreign language.  What would Mom want?  Cremation or full body burial in a casket?  Where would she like to be interred?  How would she like to be memorialized/remembered?  Which funeral home should we use?  Which cemetery?  And oh by the way who's going to pay for all of this, and how?  (Funeral home and cemetery costs combined now range from about $8000 to $20000 and up per person, potentially way up from that range.)   On an at need basis, that is if cemetery arrangements are bought after death occurs (if nothing has been preplanned/prepaid) cemeteries require that they be paid in full before interment can take place.  So preplanning is something to strongly consider.  Apart from financial considerations, it can save your survivors much emotional stress.  If you preplan then they can grieve.  Grieving itself is hard enough.  But it is a real gift to your survivors to make sure that they do not have to make your arrangement while grieving for you.