A coffin, one wag once said, is a box into which you throw money. Lots of it, in too many cases. The good news is, it doesn't have to be.

The casket is often the single most expensive item on the bill for a funeral. Those elaborate metal caskets with golden handles can run many thousands of dollars when ordered through the funeral home.

Contrary to what some funeral directors may say, however, a family planning a funeral need not use a casket supplied by a funeral home. The Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule requires funeral homes to accept caskets provided by families who obtain them from third parties or other sources.

Ordering caskets from third parties can produce significant savings. For example, one manufacturer, Star Legacy Network, offers wooden caskets for as little as $699 or metal caskets starting at $1049. Some retailers also sell caskets at significant savings; Costco, for instance, offers them for as low as $949.

If that is still too much, there is another option: build it yourself. Anyone with about three hours and $100 worth of #3 pine can build a simple, servicable coffin using the instructions for making the Quick Coffin found on the Last Things website.