Opening hours for Christmas shopping

Recently, at a shopping centre I know quite well, I saw mentioned that it has extended their opening hours by an extra hour on Sundays. People have an extra hour on Sundays to go shopping.In many shopping centres, the shops will now be opened up for longer hours to cater for the demand of Christmas shopping. Therefore, employees can earn extra money for the extra hours they work.

However, I am wondering if it is beneficial for all.
What would it mean if that one less hour of shopping was spent on meaningful relationships with people you don’t know, eg. inviting a neighbour you haven’t talked to over for a BBQ, or if that one hour could be spent on loved ones, including spendimg time with your children on leisure activities?

Whether you or I do lots and lots of extra shopping leading up to Christmas, priorities can be hard, espeically living in world where lots of people are busy.

For me, an important priority is for the materialistic view of Christmas with fabulous times,food and fun times, to not get in the way of my relationship with God-for Christ came at Christmas, the greatest gift of all.

$ spent on Melbourne Cup

The Melbourne Cup is run every year in Australia in November. I am not really into horse racing however I have gone to a race day(derby day in Melbourne) with work colleagues two years ago to see what it was 'all about.' (it involved a lot of persuading even though I was quite reluctant at first)

Every year, lots and lots of money is spent betting on which horse will win. A lot of people will bet hoping that their horse will win, and if they do win big, then, it will be the best thing that happens to them. As I was reading online after the Melbourne Cup this year, I read that the 'race drew total bets in excess of $150 million'. That is A LOT of money..and it causes me to feel very uncomfortable, especially through my childhood and overseas experiences of seeing people who live on a few dollars a day.

Couldn't that money be used in other more worthy ways to help vunerable people in our society or help communities that are struggling or even help put extra resources so that people can come to know God through Jesus?

Does our life depend on just money all the time or living for him in his world? In the Bible in Matthew 6:24, Jesus says “You cannot serve both God and money.”
I am wondering what your opinion is.