A woman is working five jobs to save up a "comfort blanket" for emergencies – after a shock redundancy left her scraping for cash.<br /><br />Kat Gallagher, 25, had a "comfortable" life with boyfriend Josh Caldwell, 24, when she was made redundant in September 2023.<br /><br />Panicked and strapped for cash, Kat immediately started searching for jobs and picked up shifts in her two local pubs and restaurant in the meantime.<br /><br />She managed to get a new job in business development within two weeks but decided to continue to juggle her other work to build her savings.<br /><br />Now she works a nine-to-five job, a front of house assistant role on the weekend, and picks up shifts in her local pubs or restaurant two nights a week – averaging out at 70 hours a week.<br /><br />Kat, from Belfast, Ireland, said: “All of a sudden I had all these jobs.<br /><br />“I decided to keep this up to create a comfort blanket. <br /><br />“I want to get to a point where it doesn’t matter what happens – the money is there if there’s an emergency.”<br /><br />Kat started a new job in business development in July 2023 but was shocked when the company went into administration and she was left jobless in September.<br /><br />She said: “I was shell-shocked.<br /><br />“At that time I didn’t have any surplus cash.”<br /><br />Kat and Josh, a trainee account, had just bough a flat and used their savings on their deposit and furnishings.<br /><br />Kat sprang into action and took a job back at the pub she worked in after university, as well as another local pub and restaurant.<br /><br />She also took on a job as a front of house assistant before securing a full-time role within two weeks of being unemployed.<br /><br />Kat said: “We had to borrow £500 from family for bills and rent and wanted to pay that back.<br /><br />“If something like that happens again I didn’t want to be in that same stressful position.”<br /><br />Kat now works 70 hours a week – 45 in her salaried job, 16 in her founder price assistant role, and two shifts between the two pubs.<br /><br />On a busy week she works up to 85 hours.<br /><br />She said: “My Saturday often starts at 7am. I go to my front of house job from 8am to 6pm and then I’ll work 8pm until 2am in the pub.<br /><br />“If I have a day off I look at it as time to pick up a shift.”<br /><br />Kat’s boyfriend, Josh, also picks up delivery shifts when he can alongside his studying and full-time job.<br /><br />Kat’s extra jobs means she can double her income – and brings in nearly £3,000 a month which she has so far used to pay back debts.<br /><br />The couple spend £1,300 a month on rent and bills and hope the extra work will now give them some savings for the future or for emergencies.<br /><br />Kat said: “I’m finding myself really tired.<br /><br />“The biggest thing that suffers is I don’t have a social life.<br /><br />“Everything has to be scheduled.”<br /><br />Kat said Josh is “stepping up to the plate” – doing all the cooking, and dropping her off for shifts.<br /><br />She said: “If I compare how we were living to the last three months – we were going to concerts, dinners, holidays. That has had to go.<br /><br />“We don’t really have quality time.”<br /><br />Kat has decided to keep up the jobs until she has enough money saved up if anything similar happens again – and she needs extra cash.<br /><br />She hopes she can take on less shifts in the New Year.<br /><br />Kat said: “I never feel rested.<br /><br />“I never feel like I've had enough sleep.<br /><br />“I wouldn’t recommend this as a solution.<br /><br />“But it’s a quick way to save.”<br /><br />Kat said the situation she was put in could happen to anyone – and she is thankful for the support of her family, friends and community.<br /><br />She said: “I have lived comfortably. For it to happen when you’re already cutting costs, it was bad timing.<br /><br />“It’s hard lesson to learn.<br /><br />“It’s shown Josh and I can get through anything.”<br /><br />Kat works -<br />A 9-5 job in business development - £1.5k a month<br />Saturday job as front of house - minimum wage for a 10 hour shift<br />Two pub shifts - minimum wage<br />Restaurant manager shift - minimum wage <br />Kat's usual take home - £3,000
