My Husband and I Work Full-Time but Had to Borrow Money to Pay for My Dad's Cremation

I work full-time and live paycheck-to-paycheck. When my dad died, I couldn't even afford his cremation.

Heather Waughtel's father died in 2026.Courtesy of Heather WaughtelWhen Heather Waughtel's dad died, a family friend covered the cremation after her card was declined.Waughtel and her husband both work full-time, but live paycheck to paycheck."We're barely making enough to live. How can we afford for someone to die?" she said. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Heather Waughtel, 47, a project coordinator based in Knoxville, Te…

My husband and I work full-time but had to borrow money to pay for my dad's cremation

Heather Waughtel's father died in 2026. Courtesy of Heather Waughtel When Heather Waughtel's dad died, a family friend covered the cremation after her card was declined. Waughtel and her husband both work full-time, but live paycheck to paycheck. "We're barely making enough to live. How can we…