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Brooks offers direct funeral services for as little as £499 [$769] and, unlike many other funeral directors, ensure that there's hidden extras that will sting you at the end. "We include everything in our prices, unlike other services that will quote a fee without including a coffin or a hearse. They know that once they've got you through the door, it's very embarrassing for you to then walk out."When a family is trying to arrange a funeral for someone they love, the funeral director's job isn't just about the nuts and bolts practicalities, either. "It's a job that often involves being an informal grief counsellor," says Joy. "Every day people get upset in front of you and you have to help them deal with it." Only making a marginal profit, Joy is clearly motivated by her desire to help people at a time of their lives when they need it most.She's not the only dedicated to offering cut-rate funerals, either. The Natural Death Centre, a charity that helps people plan funerals, also offers money-saving advice. Rosie Inman-Cook, who has spent the last eight years answering their helpline, tells me that it's entirely possible to organize a funeral for under a grand. "You can buy your coffin online or use a shroud (also known as a burial cloth), opt for a "direct cremation" service, and organize your own transportation to save money."Cook even suggests digging the grave yourself, as grave-digging can cost anywhere between £150 [$230] and £600 [$925]. Nevertheless, while DIY funerals might be less costly, she acknowledges that lots of people do not have the support networks, time, or emotional reserve to organize them.Funeral poverty is a growing problem in this country, but our inherent squeamishness around talking about the practicalities of death—how a decomposing body can be physically taken care of, with respect—means it continues to be ignored. No one wants to mull their own death or the people around us dying, but we're all going to croak it one day, and unless you want to be "disposed" of by the council, someone is going to be left behind to foot the bill.Follow Maya on Twitter."Funeral directors know that, once they've got you through the door, it's very embarrassing for you to then walk out"