In South Africa, the constant financial trap of overspending is a common reality for many individuals. For some, financial strains intensify by mid-month leading to most people not having enough money for basic needs such as transport or food during what is commonly known as ‘Mampara Week’. The Mampara Week refers to the week before pay-day where people find themselves with less than R 1000 in their bank accounts, according to a SpendTrend report. The normalization of mampara week exposes the bad habit of overspending and poor financial preparation. Bongi Gwala spoke to Mathabo Sekhonyana, CMO at Bettabets and, Matsatsi Mashiloane, financial advisor from Sanlam.