Do

  • Learn the industry basics so you don’t get taken advantage of.
  • Create your Simple Plan.
  • Write a simple Will.
  • Cross-off items on your Checklist as you complete them.
  • Enjoy thinking of your farewell as a continually evolving Project.
  • Embrace technology as a tool that can help.
  • Create Video Letters for your family & friends.
  • Using the FP App & Too Much Stuff feature video & record who gets what (at least for your major items).
  • See what other people are planning for their farewell.
  • Explore green options & new alternatives. There’s some amazing things out there.
  • Talk to family/friends about what you want.
  • Know costs. What you’re paying and what it’s for.
  • Setup a Simple Savings Account specifically for your farewell that you own.
  • Think about your digital footprint and what items are most important.
  • Schedule an Exit Interview.

Don’t

  • Blindly follow the directives of a funeral director (or anyone).
  • Go into the farewell process with no education or information.
  • Pre-Pay for anything! With a funeral home, cemetery, crematory. No one!
  • Accept no for an answer. If you want it for your goodbye, you can have it.
  • Plan nothing.
  • Assume people know what you want for your farewell.
  • Be afraid to demand full transparency with prices: an exact itemized list.
  • Fear death. We all do it. You, me, even the bees.
  • Feel like an idiot. Most people don’t know anything about any of this stuff. You’re not alone. You’re not stupid. You simply don’t know what you don’t know.
  • Guess what someone wants for their farewell. You either know definitively because they told you (or wrote it down at the Farewell Project) or you don’t.
  • Leave it to your family/friends to pay for your farewell.
  • Hold grudges. Except with Gary, he knows what he did.
  • Be an unnecessary burden on your family/friends.
  • Believe that you have to use a funeral director. In 42 states you don’t. (And in the other 8 all that’s required is you pay the Basic Services Fee)
  • Embalm. It’s required by no law anywhere. And only really needed if you’re doing a viewing/open casket.

And our #1 Advice! Don’t Pre-Pay. Do Pre-Talk. Do Pre-Plan.