Dying to Shop at Costco

This week, bulk retailer Costco is introducing a new item: caskets! For $800, you can choose from five models. But you have to ask... is this the kind of thing you really want to buy in bulk??? And if buying a coffin is on your mind while you're shopping for diapers and bottled water, perhaps you have bigger problems than trying to find the best bargains...

But seriously, this move has spawned some much needed discussion about the wisdom of funeral pre-planning and the high cost of death in this country. Costco's coffins cost about a tenth of what you might pay at the average funeral home. Plus, by planning ahead, we can spare our loved ones the stress and headaches of making major purchasing decisions at the worst possible time.