In general, things that have touched dead bodies are not high on people's lists of reusable items. So the fact that you can—and people do—rent a casket seems sketchy at first. But there are some very good reasons why someone might opt to rent a casket for a loved one's final public appearance.
Number one, of course, is cost. According to Bankrate, the median cost of a funeral today is an eye-popping $7,640. No one wants to cheap out at such an emotional time, but that's a lot of money for most people, and one of the most expensive aspects of a funeral is the casket, which averages about $2,000.
Cremation is a lot cheaper, costing just $350 on average—but if you plan to have a viewing as well you might feel the need for a nice casket. The good news, as reported by Today, is that you can usually rent a tricked-out casket with a removable interior. This allows you to have a beautiful casket at a memorial, and the body never actually touches the interior of the casket, allowing it to be reused. Renting a casket can save you over $1,000 on the cost of a funeral. And after all, the casket is just going to rot in the ground—and if you're cremating the remains, you don't need a casket at all.
