You don’t have to spend a ton of money to honor your lost loved one as long as you act from the heart. While all of the more expensive memorials and services at funeral homes in Chicago, IL are lovely, there are plenty of less expensive options that are just as comforting and respectful. Use these ideas for budget-friendly memorialization at a funeral home: 

• Jewelry – If your loved one was cremated you can easily carry them with you at all times with jewelry. For example, you can put their ashes in a locket with a photo. 

• Memories – Memories of the deceased are free and plentiful. Put out a jar or dish at a memorial service and have guests write down their memories of the deceased to place in the jar. Then, read them one by one on special occasions or whenever you need some comfort in your grief. You can even make this idea digital and have people send memory emails to a special email address. 
  

• Listen to Music – Music can be very powerful. Listen to the deceased’s favorite song or artist or find a kind of music that is soothing to you in your time of loss. You can create a mix or a tape of the comforting music to play when you’re sad or to give to others who are feeling the same loss. 

• Repurpose Belongings – Instead of donating or storing your lost loved one’s belongings, see if you can repurpose some of them into remembrance items. Sew a shirt or dress into a pillowcase you can keep on your bed or on the couch or patch up their jeans to give to younger generations. 

• Write a Memorial – While you may not feel like a poet or an author, sometimes the act of putting your feelings into words can be very comforting and honoring to the deceased. You can write short stories of their life, create a poem to honor their memory, or just write down how much they meant to you. 

• Plant a Garden – Plant a memorial garden in the deceased’s honor. Seeds and flowers are very cost-effective, plus gardening is a constructive way to release grief. You can always add a memorial bench or stone. 

• Photographs – It’s likely that you already have lots of pictures of the deceased. Turn those pictures into a memorial by making a scrapbook, gallery wall or another display dedicated to your lost loved one. 

• Charitable Giving – If your lost loved one was dedicated to a certain cause, why not make a donation in their honor? It doesn’t have to be a large donation for it to be meaningful and to do some good. You can also ask funeral or me memorial guests to make donations instead of bringing flowers. 

Cage Memorial Chapel Funeral & Cremation Services, Inc. is here to help if you’re looking for more tips or information on Chicago, IL funeral homes. We have years of funeral and cremation experience we would love to put at your disposal, so give us a call or pay us a visit today to learn more about what we can do for you in your time of loss.