Here's a little test of your frugality: What frightens you more? A) Dying. B) The price of your funeral.

If you answered B, congratulations and welcome to another meeting of the Frugal Club, where the holiday party has always been canceled.

Here, you are among friends – people who understand that you don't stop being frugal just because you happen to stop breathing.

So let's talk today about planning a financially sensible funeral, one that really will let you rest in peace.

Joe Tinnin teaches psychology at Richland College. But each year he also teaches an informal, noncredit course on wise funeral buying.

He could probably sum up the course in a single word: Shop.

"We know this is a strange topic for some to consider. But it's important and it's expensive," Mr. Tinnin said. "We just want to talk about it as a purchase."

If his class were about buying a car or a computer, he wouldn't have to tell anyone that it's important to shop around for the best model to suit you and the best price for it.

But with funerals, we somehow go squeamish about discussing money. And Mr. Tinnin works to get his students over that hurdle.

"So we send them shopping," he said.

The class meets for two sessions. After the first one, he gives students a homework assignment – funeral-homework, that is.

Students are urged to visit a funeral home and talk prices and services.

"Not everybody does it, but most go," he said.

"And the second week is usually pretty exciting because people come back with what they have found out. They're proud of the data they have gotten."

He said funeral homes are now quite accustomed to people inquiring about prices and service options, so no one should be hesitant to shop. In fact, funeral homes are required to offer an itemized price list of their services.

"Take a shopping attitude," Mr. Tinnin advised. "You're there to shop and rightfully so. You are entitled to get a good return for your money."

You can broaden the shopping trip by visiting one of the storefront casket stores. Nothing says you have to buy the casket from the funeral home you use.

"Costco is carrying caskets now, too," Mr. Tinnin said. "But you have to order them online. You won't find them in stores."

If you are thinking of cremation, a casket might not be necessary at all – just an inexpensive cardboard cremation container.

And if the cremation will be done quickly, embalming may be another service (and expense) that's not necessary.

There are all sorts of options these days. In browsing around online, I even found a guide to "Do-It-Yourself Home Funerals."

But that might be the ultimate test of frugality.