Going Out In Style

Who knew the after-life could be such a lucrative venture? It's more than just a funeral director, there are the florists, the tombstone manufacturers and countless other players; it all adds up to an $11 Billion a year industry, according to Good Magazine. They've got a spectrum of ways to get rid of the body and all of them are expensive. Its almost like a post-mortem guilt trip for those left behind by someone who hasn't made their own funeral arrangements. You don't want to skimp when it comes to honoring the life of your loved one, you also don't want to be filing for Chapter 11 down the road.

Today--conveniently enough just days before Halloween--we are going to look at some of the more creative and unorthodox ways of being laid to rest.


Greener pastures. You can help save the environment even in death! As seen in the video above, funerals can leave a negative impact on the Earth. Why not invest in a cardboard casket? Sure, it won't stop embalming fluids from seeping into the drinking water supply, but it will decompose quickly and cleanly. It will also save us from throwing away perfectly good wood and steel. The price? As low as $50. Some Assembly Required. The cons as pointed out by Ms. Helda of Associated Content is that these caskets cannot hold over 350 lbs and top out at 7 feet. Amazons and fatties need not apply.

Pimp my hearse. Birmingham hippies rejoice! You can have you corpse carried to the grave-site in a stylish VW camper van/hearse. They also offer a stretched VW Beetle. The internet is full of odd customized hearses, some even used for funerals. So take a look around you might want to take your last cruise in something unique. Just remember the wind will most likely not be in your hair.

Buried in advertising. Forget regular coffins and urns! Nothing spells out your legacy better than M-L-B. That's right, advertise for your favorite Major League Baseball team with your passing. Eternal Image has a selection of licensed coffins to suit your needs. Want to be launched into space like Mr. Spock in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn? You can get a replica casket from them, but you'll have to make the space arrangements yourself.

A Stone Age. A those souls who mandate their headstone be decorated with some clever phrase. We love them. Then there are those who go overboard so to speak. Hubpages has a great list that I'll just link to here.

She always said her feet were killing her
but nobody believed her.

Have a safe Halloween.