cremation can be pretty pricey like around a grand, plus they still hit you for a funeral, cause trust me all your family is gonna want to have a service and see your dead ass before they do light you up. Unless your so fuckered that there is no turning you back to normal so you'd just scare the shit out of everybody. Matt was like that, fucker suffocated and turned blue like a smurf they say. Just no way to get that color back so no open casket for him. Chris had one but I didn't go, they say he was all bruised up anyway as they don't really clean ya up all that well if they are gonna burn you as they don't have much time before they need to get you in the oven.
As far as scattering ashes, well we did it at some spots for my brothers and their friends did it as some other spots that they shared. I still have ashes from both my brothers at home, don't know why. I ski with some of my closest brother as he was always my skiing partner and it just hurts to be out there without him. But on the other hand I've always kinda figured if you go dumping ashes out there they pretty much go where they want. I kinda feel like the ashes make their way everywhere once you set them aloft, this makes me feel like a piece of them is everywhere and there is no real point in dumping them in specific spots.
I kinda like the traditional burial but no box is needed, I don't even know if they'll do that these days, but your really just slowing down the worms a bit. I'd be cool with my body degrading and ultimately feeding the earth through decomposition. I also like the tradition of all who attend your funeral having to take a turn tossing a shovel load onto the open grave, kinda like everyone pitching in to say goodbye and get the job done at the same time.
It really doesn't matter though IMO as we'll all be gone by that point and won't be concerned with this mortal world, or I guess that depends on your views.
Two dead brothers makes you think about death a lot. A lot.