Apparently she thought she was paying for the ashes to be hand delivered though.
I doubt she had it in writing and if she didn't thought doesn't account for much.
A lot of funeral expenses are for things like cosmetics and the use of a viewing room and/or chapel. There's also things like the hearse transporting the remains to the cemetery, a limousine for the close family, transporting flowers from the funeral apartments to the cemetery, chairs carpet and an awning at the cemetery.
She probably didn't have many of those expenses.
As I said we tend to go for cheap funerals in our family. We have cremations, no viewings (we would rather see the person in their last few days), no makeup, no flowers (except what we bring from our own gardens), no minister, no limosine, no formal service (family members conduct our own non-religious service) , a cheap coffin and urn possible. My grandparents and my father's ashes were scattered at the same place, and my mother has requested her ashes to be scattered there too. We have our family conducted service in the small chapel at the crematorium. Despite this the funeral still cost close to $3000.
My father's funeral, despite its frugality and simplicity, was the nicest funeral I have ever attended.
Edited to add - I am hoping to have a even cheaper 'funeral' myself. I have decided on a direct committal (with a cremation, no service at all). My closest friends and my sons can later scattered my ashes at the beach near my home.
I assume that the woman in this story had a direct committal. I can see no other way of getting the cost of her father's funeral so low.