A study by the British Retail Consortium predicts an additional £2billion in seasonal shopping compared to last year, and expects the average household to spend over £500 this Christmas. Becky Denharder, for Care for the Family, says that Christmas does not have to be an expensive occasion, and urges Christians not to get ‘carried away’ over the festive season. Although it is ‘fun to spend money’ on our families, it all ‘adds up’, so she encourages us to ‘work within our means.’ ‘I think sometimes parents feel pressure to buy for their kids and we feel pressure to buy for colleagues and lots of different people,’ she added. ‘There are more long-lasting ways to bless our families. We don't often remember our Christmas gifts, but we do remember the memories. We remember the traditions that we take part in, and those are the memories that stick.’