Alba Segarra: “Without my parents I can’t buy an apartment in Barcelona”

Comedian Alba Segarra (1992) grew up in La Fuliola in a farming family: "In the summer, at fourteen, I was already picking fruit in the fields." "If I wanted to go out partying, they told me it was equivalent to an afternoon of spraying chemicals. I quickly realized that the idea was terrifying," she explains in an interview withCompanies.

So at 16, she started working in the hospitality industry and combined it with other temporary jobs while studying for a degree in Political Science in Barcelona: "I'm obsessed with having my own money and independence." Although she never suffered financially at home: "We never lacked anything in terms of health, education, and life experiences. But they didn't buy us anything extravagant. Not even a cell phone when I was 18." On the other hand, she has always had financial security: "I'm eternally grateful to my parents because I know I won't be left high and dry. If I need something, I can just ask them." "My dream would be to be able to raise children with the financial peace of mind I've had. I know that home is a pillow, an emotional refuge, but above all, a financial one," says the comedian who works in the RAC1 version doing the program The Opening Acts.

In this sense, Segarra loves the economic philosophy he was raised with: "My father talks about 'household money.' The money isn't his, or my mother's, it's the household money. It's a pool of money where we all have to eat and live. 'Household' is the piece of land, the family, it's everything." Furthermore, he grew up in an economy based on saving: "The land and farms don't understand schedules, vacations, or weekends." "My parents have been able to save by working hard and living a very humble and simple life, without great luxuries and very devoted to their family. I think the point of frustration comes around age 32, when you realize you're incapable of doing the same because of the system you live in," the comedian explains.

For nine years, Segarra worked on educational projects in the third sector: "It's one of the most precarious and poorly paid sectors in history for the work you do." She liked it, but a few years ago she decided to pursue a career in communications, a world that had always intrigued her. First in the format stand-up And then she added on the radio: "I've chosen to return to a very precarious sector. This affects your self-esteem at work. Money is ultimately the currency of your time, your talent, your value, and what you can contribute to society." The comedian has questioned herself about the issue of salary, and points out that it's a very unfair system.

"Right now, I have to work two jobs to save anything. With just one full-time salary, I couldn't," she emphasizes. She continues, "Right now, I live off my radio work and save from live performances." In fact, she says she currently earns a better living telling jokes on stage. But being self-employed is a real headache: "How can they be so strict, without any guidance, with a poor wretch who goes around the world with a microphone in her hand?" "You have to be on top of things all the time," Segarra points out, adding that after working from 9 to 5, she has to dedicate time to her personal project. Luckily, she likes her job.

Regarding housing, the comedian has always shared an apartment in Barcelona until a couple of years ago when he moved, first to his own place and then with a partner: "I believe more in contacts than in real estate agencies these days. My Idealista is my address book." He's currently considering buying a property: "I'll need my parents to be able to buy a place. I can't wait to cut the umbilical cord. Without my parents, I can't buy an apartment in Barcelona. I've worked all my life, I have a degree and three master's degrees, and I can't afford to own a place." "And if I'm considering it, it's because we're doing it together," he emphasizes.

"In my circle of friends, what sets us apart is family inheritance, our parents' ability to save. And that's something neither our parents nor we are responsible for. Family is what defines social differences," he asserts.