If you’re planning a lost loved one’s service at a funeral home in Dolton, IL, one of the first and most essential tasks you must complete is creating a budget. 

While its always important to have a budget for any kind of event, its especially true when planning a memorial or funeral service because you will most likely be distracted with grief after losing a loved one. Making a budget might seem daunting, it’s not that bad once you get going one step at a time. 

The first step in creating a budget is to build an organizational tool that works for your needs. A spreadsheet is the most commonly used tool for planners to stay on top of budgetary needs. You should create a spreadsheet that has a line for everything you are going to spend money on for your lost loved one’s service. 

While you might not know every single thing right now, you can build the format and fill it out as you move along. Start your budget spreadsheet by creating a few different columns. The first one is for items. What is the item you are budgeting for? Be as specific as possible, and don’t group different items together. For example, don’t make a line for food and drink. Instead, make one line for food and a different line for drink. The more detailed you are the easier it will be to make changes down the line if needed.

You also need a column for the number of items needed. The quantity of an item is very important for a budget. There is a big difference in cost between 50 candles and 100 candles, or food for 75 people versus food for 200 people. This also goes the other way, as eliminating unnecessary numbers of items can give you more wiggle room in a budget that you can use for other things. 

Don’t forget about the estimated cost and the description. The cost of different items might change from venue to venue, so having an estimated cost can give you a clearer idea of how your budget is doing before you make final decisions. Describe the item you are budgeting for.

Descriptions are absolutely necessary, especially if you plan on having other people help you plan the memorial or need to have an executor or other family member approve a budget. You can also include information about whether the item is essential or not in the description. 

Finally, mark down final quotes as soon as you have them to make your budget accurate and up to date. Writing down the actual cost of items can help you plan for future events and give you a good idea as to how you are staying on your budget. 

Once you make a budget spreadsheet for your lost loved one’s service, the rest of the planning will feel a lot less stressful and painful. 

Cage Memorial Chapel Funeral & Cremation Services, Inc. is here to help if you want more memorial service planning tips or information on Dolton, IL funeral homes. Please stop by and visit us or give us a call to learn more about what we can do for you.