Because cremation and in-ground burial both have their pros and cons, it's difficult to claim that one or the other of them is the ideal arrangement for everyone. But it's certainly true that your situation, personality, and religion can affect which choice is right for you individually. Here are three reasons that in-ground burial may be your best choice.

1. Family

If your family is very traditional or includes a lot of old-fashioned or strongly religious thinkers, you have a lot of potential for offending them if you ask for a funeral that they may perceive as a break with tradition. Of course, you won't have to deal with extended family while the funeral is taking place, but it might make things difficult for your immediate family. And if you come from an old family with its own family cemetery, being buried there could be the quickest and easiest arrangement, as well as allowing you to be buried alongside other loved ones who may have gone before you. 

2. Religion

There are several religions that disapprove of or even prohibit cremation due to some strongly held belief (such as a belief that your physical body will be resurrected later but only if you don't destroy it). These religions include Islam, Orthodox and Conservative Judaism, Mormonism, and some branches of Christianity such as the Eastern Orthodox church and the Presbyterian church. Although most forms of Christianity, including Catholicism, don't currently prohibit cremation, there are some individuals who feel that it's wrong. If you feel this way (or perhaps your spouse does and you don't want to unnecessarily upset him or her), you may want to try planning a budget-friendly in-ground burial rather than opting for the price cuts cremation offers. One way to save money on your in-ground burial is by opting for "green burial," which often doesn't require concrete burial vaults, steel caskets, and headstones (three big drains on any funeral budget). 

3. Environment

Although a "traditional" big funeral, complete with embalming and fancy caskets and so on, is extremely bad for the environment, cremation isn't the eco-friendly solution it's touted to be. In addition to requiring massive amounts of energy for the process (which at this point is usually sourced from fossil fuels), it actually causes most of the remains to disintegrate. This puts a lot of pollution in the air. Instead, if you want a truly eco-friendly burial experience that's also easy on the budget, a "green" burial is your best bet. It doesn't put formaldehyde or non-renewable resources in the grave with you, and it doesn't create pollution like the cremation process does. Its main downside is that without embalming, you have a narrower window of time to arrange the funeral and memorial service.

Cremation may be right for some, but in-ground burial is definitely the best bet for people who have a religious problem with it, want to avoid disagreements among an old-fashioned family, or want to save the earth on a tight budget. Contact a local funeral home for more information.