Most of my readers know that I'm somewhat obsessed with funeral services, burial practices, and how a family reacts to death within a family. This interest stems from my social history leanings. So when I see that the number of U.S. cremations has grown 32 percent in 2005 compared to 21 percent in 1996, I know that American attitudes about death are undergoing a transformation, and that the face of the funeral business has kept pace.

Several factors can answer for the change in individual and family attitudes about funerals and body disposition, including environmental issues, alterations in religious and spiritual beliefs, and - mostly - cost. On the business side, many funeral directors keep in touch with their communities and now provide alternatives to traditional funerals that can exceed $12,000 for a modest ceremony.

Preplanning for funeral services is key to individual and family savings. Since this practice has been touted for at least a decade, it could account for the reason why a variety of after-death options have come to light.

Whole body donation has become popular for individuals who want to hand their bodies over to medical and forensic science for medical research and training after death. This option also eliminates any funeral costs, as the medical or forensic organization that receives the body whisks the departed away on the death date and then cremates the individual and disposes of the ashes after research is finalized.

Families can ask for remaining ashes, but it might take up to two years to receive them. On the other hand, the family cannot ask for payment from the organization that uses the body for research. The donation is just that, and it's a request that must be made by the individual before death. If you're interested in this avenue, simply type "whole body donation" into any search engine and you'll find several options for research.

I can tell you from personal experience that this choice can surprise many family members, especially those who weren't privy to the wishes of the departed. A memorial service sans body viewing can unnerve some individuals or it can relieve others who abhor the traditional funeral service. It also can raise some curiosity about how to gain access to this option, as the elimination of any traditional funeral expense is obvious through lack of usual funeral trappings.

Cremation is part and parcel of the whole body donation decision, but this option has become more popular on the whole as a less expensive body disposition method. The costs can range from $100 to over $10,000, depending upon choices made by the individual who has preplanned for this choice or by the family who decides on this option after a relative's death.

The more costly cremation includes the implication of an undertaker who will handle all the paperwork and body transport, visitation before cremation (this option may require embalming), and whether the ashes will be retained or scattered. The least expensive cremation is one where the family handles the paperwork and body transport, where the body is cremated immediately, and the family retains or scatters the ashes. "Immediately" means that the family may need to wait two days for cremation to take place, especially if the wish is to bypass embalming.

Depending upon crematory or mortuary customs, a family may be urged to purchase a casket for the cremation; but according to U.S. law, funeral providers who offer direct cremations also must offer to provide an alternative container that can be used in place of a casket. In addition, most state laws allow families to use something as inexpensive as a cardboard box for the remaining ashes as long as that box is labeled with information about the box contents.

This latter option is ideal for individuals who want their ashes scattered, as scattering eliminates the need for urns and for plots or spaces in a columbarium (crypts). But, as you'll discover when you research this option, the price of scattering ashes can be reasonable or shocking. The reaction to the price depends upon how you compare the cost to other options. No matter how you look at it, scattering has become big business that has grown in direct correlation with the rise in the number of cremations over the past decade.

For instance, the International Scattering Society is a "small but growing" company that provides permit service at the current cost of $60. This permit service includes investigation and arrangement for the permits you may need to scatter remains. That cost seems very reasonable when you realize how much time it might save the family. The cost rises when you want this company to provide transport and dispersal. Additionally, the company will provide photographic and video proof of the fulfilled wishes if they handle all functions. All this for a mere $500, a cost below you'll pay to obtain permits and transport Aunt Sally's ashes to the Rocky Mountains without help, and well below the price of a traditional funeral.

But, the scattering craze goes well beyond this simple method that's provided by a number of "small and growing" businesses. An online search for ash scattering methods reveals that ashes can be scattered at sea, from an airplane, and even shot up into the air in a fireworks display. The latter method costs anywhere from $3,750 to $4,900 for permits, fireworks, and necessary land or yacht fees (for scattering on water). But, once again, this unusual body dispersal method remains less expensive than a modest ground burial.

While none of these ash-scattering businesses have become large enough to become available as public offerings on the markets, I was interested to learn how these services have grown in response to demand. Pure economics drive this market, but emotions play a key role in how this sector might expand in the future. Next week I'll explain more about why cremations are booming, and I'll provide you with some advice on how to avoid unnecessary costs in this process and why you need to avoid prepayment (but not preplanning).

Until Then,
Linda Goin