Hey Pumper----you won't pay a funeral home through the nose because there isn't the profit margin you think there is----especially on the higher quality merchandise.
Also, plain direct burial is and always has been available at a minimum cost. There is nothing wrong with just a plain pine box, especially if the remains will not be viewed. Oh, and wicker caskets are coming back into vogue after a 100 year hiatus. Delete the embalming and just gather at the graveside for the service. Keep everything simple and basic and your local funeral home should be able to provide you with a fair price. Of course, it doesn't hurt to shop around and don't be afraid to ask one funeral home to match the prices of another.
Cremation is not for everybody. I reccommend people do what they want however, keep in mind what is best for the survivors. Not everyone's children, siblings or spouses cares to have a direct cremation with no meaningful service of rememberance whatsoever.
I've often heard people flippantly say "oh, just burn me, and flush the remains down the toilet". Well, just because you hold yourself in such low-esteem, doesn't mean the people who love you do. So put some thought into it and consider the survivors!
As J2400 mentioned, there are a few large chains that own combinations of Cemeteries, Funeral Homes, Crematories, Casket manufacturers, vault manufacturers, Chemical Manufacturers, etc. A monopoly situation.
IMO the big corporations generally will be higher priced and less service oriented than the independantly owned firms.
Don't be shy. Ask the firm if they are an "Independant" or "Corporate" owned firm.
Smaller towns can be a real problem because there may only be one or two firms and BOTH of them may be corporate owned. In the big cities, sometimes the corporates own nearly everyone and only one independant remains.
Also FYI. Look for the cost of Direct-Cremation to continue to escalate. In some areas the cost of direct-cremation is now almost the same price as a direct-burial.
Ah, but the REAL big expense is the Cemetery. Per square-foot, it can be some of the highest priced real estate to be found. AND, don't be fooled, land to bury people is NOT even close to running out. Check the Sunday newspaper want-ads for some good prices on burial space. People sell their spaces all the time. Just remember, NEVER buy a space sight unseen! It could be down in a low part of the cemetery, and prone to flood, etc. Buy a space in a nice part of the cemetery. Cemeteries can also require a vault, especially if in a big city. Small country and church cemeteries are much more likely to allow burial without a vault, and the new "green" cemeteries certainly do.
The most important thing, for any responsible person to do is to have some game plan in place. Something is better than nothing. And sooner or later we all are 'gonna go, and we can't expect the goods and services to be free, either.
So get some cheap life insurance, or a burial policy going, or a pre-paid funeral trust, or whatever. Have a "Purple folder" or whatever and make sure your friends and family know of it existence and whereabouts-------'cause 'ya never know.