5 Free (Or Affordable) End-of-Life Planning Resources
October 21st, 2022
Let’s face it: death is unavoidable.
So why keep it in the back of your mind as a “I’ll figure that out later” when you could feel ready and prepared for it (and help your family feel prepared, too)?
Well, for starters, many of us are terrified of death because it’s been categorized as a “taboo” topic for many generations. For a society that once kept their death in the parlor of their home for days, we’ve come a long way away from a close relationship to death.
Before we offer you these free (or inexpensive) resources for planning your end-of-life, we should mention why it’s important to plan for your end-of-life.
Why planning your end-of-life is important
It’s funny, because many people who pre-plan their end-of-life are folks who have lost someone. Wonder why? Because they had to figure out all the next-to-impossible details that come when someone passes away.
Consider, for a moment, you passed away tomorrow.
What would happen to your…
Children? Pets? Finances? Possessions? Your business? Your debts?
How do you want to be remembered?
How do you want your body to rest for eternity?
What are your wishes?
What happens to your social media account?
These are just a few of the details we must consider when someone passes away. And imagine your family having to figure this all out for you, while in the midst of grieving your loss.
Trust us, it’s not fun for anyone.
Now, if you’re on the same page as us on the importance of pre-planning, let’s take a look at these easy, free and even fun resources for planning for your last moments:
#1: Death with Dignity
Price: Free, always
Let’s start things off simple. First, there’s Death with Dignity, who provides a simple web page with a checklist giving you everything you need to plan for your end-of-life. No frills, no fuss. Just a simple checklist, with everything you need.
My favorite resources of theirs include:
#2: Cake
Price: Free, always
Cake, an aftercare planning platform founded by Harvard Graduates, proclaims itself to be the “largest end-of-life platform on the internet”. And with how helpful and easy-to-use their platform is, we think that title is righteous. From the first glance they make it really easy to get exactly what you need.
You can choose to get help in several different categories, including:
So, they make it easy for you to start your path no matter where you’re at in your end-of-life planning journey. I love how the resources aren’t just geared towards at-need folks, but also the curious. I recommend this resource for those who are younger and aren’t in a hurry to plan their death, but also want to learn and feel informed on how to prepare should someone in their life pass away.
#3: Planning My Way
Price: free
Planning My Way takes the complex process of planning for end-of-life and breaks it into stages:
I love this because, like Cake, it gives you an option to start your journey wherever you are at, rather than when you’re at need. Also, I feel the design and formatting of this platform to be a bit more targeted towards older populations. So if you’re younger you may feel more compelled to the previous platforms and resources mentioned. Although it’s truly a great resource, so maybe consider sending it to elderly parents or grandparents if you’re a younger person like myself.
#4: I’m Dead, Now What? End-of-Life Planner
Price: $12.99
We’re going to share one offline tool for those who find value in physically writing things down. We found this planner on Amazon and it has over 500 5-star reviews, so it seems like it brings great value to those who use it!
This end-of-life planner includes:
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Basic Info
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Important Documents
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Financial Details
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Funeral Wishes
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Insurance Lists
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Personal Wishes
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Arrangements for Children & Pets
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Location of Important Items
… and many more topics too! I really like the simplicity of this resource and its physicality because let’s face it, some of us are just not digitally inclined.
Interested in trying it? You can purchase it on Amazon here.
#5: f1Connect’s Pre-Planning Tool
Price: Free, always
Another free tool on the list, our f1Connect’s Pre-Planning tool is featured on all of our funeral home client’s websites. It’s got everything you need to pre-plan, including:
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A free pre-planning guide
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Funeral planning webinars
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Resources on pre-planning when family is far away
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Pre-planning checklist
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Conversation starters for planning with family members
Plus… a lot more, as you can see from the extensive web page here. If you’re a funeral home, we highly recommend checking out this tool for your funeral home website!
What other free or affordable end-of-life resources have you found to be helpful? Tell us about them in the comments below!
PS. Interested in trying f1Connect’s all-in-one website platform that comes complete with pre-planning tools & much, much more? Click here to speak with one of our Funeral Success Specialists or give us a call at 1-800-798-2575 to make the switch today.
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