Candela Figueras: "I'm terrified of mortgages; they tie you down forever."

BarcelonaJournalist and communicator Candela Figueras (Montblanc, 1984) grew up in the countryside helping her father on the farm and behind the counter of her mother's butcher shop. "I learned to count and return money from the ladies at the store. When the euro came into use, I still thought in pesetas, because I was very young and calculated in pesetas." Following her parents' example, she quickly understood that things were hard to earn, that "money doesn't fall from the sky." "I wanted the typical mini-system for CDs, cassettes, and the radio. And my parents told me: 'If you want, save up.' I saved up some money and bought it two and a half years later, which I remember costing 60,000 pesetas."

The journalist moved to Barcelona to study audiovisual communication. And she started working at a Decathlon. "I helped Infanta Cristina because she came to shop," she recalls. During her time at university, she did volunteer internships at various media outlets until she joined Radio Flaixbac. "I'd leave the morning show, eat on the way, and go straight to university.", that I came in at three and didn't leave until nine at night." To do eight hours, however, she admits that she earned very little. "I must have earned around 800 euros. But I was the happiest girl in the world. I didn't even have a degree and I was already working, for me it was a prize."

Since then, Figueras has been lucky enough to take on different projects in a sector known for its uncertainty. "Very quickly, I saw that the work could end suddenly; the program ends and you're left there," she explains. This is what happened to her when she was working on a project she had been working on for six months: a month before, she was notified that it was ending due to external causes. "I lived alone in Gràcia, I hadn't been able to save much, and I thought: "And now what?" I remember calling the landlord and explaining," she says. Eventually, they agreed that she would use the deposit for the apartment to pay the rent while she looked for another job.

As for pay, the presenter Monumental Battle TV3 claims they don't receive "stratospheric" salaries; therefore, instability leads to precariousness. However, over time, she has learned to respect and value the work she does. Thus, she feels well paid. "On television, you get paid more than on radio, I suppose because the projects are shorter and more unstable," she emphasizes.

In recent months, has presented Beastly Quote, a program she created and co-directed herself. "It's been one of the best stages of her career. I really believe in the project and I think you can make entertainment with social value," she admits. Since doing this program, she's tried to be more selective. "Focus on taking on projects I believe in, that resonate with me. And that's why I don't have a fixed project to which I dedicate my eight hours a day. I'm developing personal projects, writing scripts, and collaborating with media outlets. I never imagine my future six months from now," she says.

Saving for "an emergency"

Furthermore, not having a steady job has forced her to be a thrifty person. "I don't know what will happen with the project, and that's why sometimes I can't afford vacations, because if this project were to end, I might need that money. And I'm terrified of owing money; I don't want to be in the red. I've saved some money in case of an emergency." She's always kept money in a little corner. "I tried to keep it as little as possible, from 50 euros a month—something symbolic—to higher amounts when I had two projects at the same time."

"Now, for the first time, at forty, I've been able to save because the last three years have been good at work, and I live with a partner who has the apartment paid for, and we don't pay the mortgage or rent, and it's a gift," Figueras emphasizes. In fact, she had always lived in a rental in Barcelona. "I'm terrified of mortgages; they tie you down forever and require a lot of financial stability," she says. And for the moment, she's ruled out buying a home.

As for personal finances, his most expensive hobbies are skiing and dog sitting. And although he also enjoys going to restaurants, he only does so when he has a lot of money. "You can't stretch your arm any further than your sleeve," he says. And the best purchase he's ever made is his secondhand car. "It cost me 3,000 euros almost 15 years ago, and it's still running, and I hope it can continue to run," he explains.