part funerals, page-3

Billy, My apologies. I just read the article and its a bit different to what I thought you meant. I should have read it first.
She didn't say people were taking care of arrangements themselves, just that they're choosing more basic services.
Actually the article is a bit vague on that,which is typical of newspapers. They tend to just throw a few thoughts together and put it out there. It's far from the first story about the high price of Funerals.
Having said that, I can confirm that the mark up on coffins these days is obscene as she stated. Unfortunately for families suddenly struck by grief, there's no real alternative to engaging the services of a professional provider. Families are not in a position to barter and take time to consider all the options. I doubt that Propel or Invocare would give you the option of providing the coffin yourself. Even if more basic services are chosen, its still going to be very expensive.
So I think there is opportunity for a low price business to emerge, where it's understood from the start that it's a very basic service and a purely functional coffin. As you said, the coffin is taken to the crematorium (by the service provider) and families make their own mourning arrangements. I don't know what are the odds of that happening but if it does, it could seriously challenge the status quo.