RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — It’s never easy preparing for a funeral, and experts say it’s getting more expensive.

A recent study from the National Funeral Directors Association finds the average cost of a funeral at more than $7800, a 6.6 percent increase over five years.

City of Oaks Funeral Home and Cremation owner Edward Kosmos tells CBS 17 it’s because expenses like the cost of urns and caskets are going up for funeral homes, yet more people are choosing to be cremated, which is cheaper.

The cost of those expenses gets passed on to the customer, and he believes costs will keep going up.

 “When you lose that revenue, how are you going to make it up? You know, you still have the same bills,” Kosmos said.

There are ways you can work to cut costs, like buying funeral supplies online. Kosmos also recommends calling around to different funeral homes to check their prices and what they offer. And when it’s time to meet with a funeral director, bring someone with you to help you consider your options.

“You should always go in with somebody that has truly got your back and that can say ‘before you sign that, let’s just read it one more time,’” Kosmos said.

North Carolina law doesn’t require you to use a funeral home to conduct a burial, and federal law gives you the right to purchase only the goods and services you want for a funeral.