Rjan:
If you started putting money away in the 70s you were getting double-digit returns and huge tax reliefs, or participating in good index-linked company schemes. My old man cleared his mortgage in the 90s with the proceeds of a savings policy.Nowadays, you’ll be lucky if your private pension returns exceed inflation, and it’s pointless shovelling money away if it involves grievous compromises now, only to get a pension later which still won’t afford a reasonable standard of living (or worse, just eats into the state benefits that you’d be entitled to, as many older retired workers have found with small company pension pots from decades ago depriving them of pension credits and free dental and eye care).
Many people in their 50s and 60s now just cash in small pots (now that it is possible to do so). And if you have debts or mortgages, it makes more sense to put capital towards these and pay them off sooner (and very few people nowadays are free of any debt).
I used to have savings accounts years ago. Now I don’t bother (and if savings become excessive, then I look to spend them on durable assets).
You can’t spent your life living on bread and water, just so that you can retire on bread and water.
I’m not that old! 
Started pension somewhere around '87-8 I think.
I’ll be speaking to my IFA to see what he suggests, taking some out, leaving it in and drawing an annuity, the landscape has changed and no doubt will do so again, it’s all about taking a punt really, preferably an informed as you can one.
I’m not suggesting that people live on bread and water, I’ve had long weekends, I’m not fussed about holidays, fail to see how buying a new car for 30 k every two years gets me to work any better than a second hand van that I keep for 5-7 years, nor why a house worth 400k 5 mins away from me is worth the extra in mortgage payments than mine worth less than half that. I go out a couple of times a week, I’ve not lived on bread and water.
My point was to an earlier poster than said people couldn’t save into a pension, they can and it’s no good moaning if you only have the state pension, which was never meant to last the 15-20 years that it has to now.
Possibly because I spend time on pension boards I know of people who have a good rate of return with self invested SIPPS, having spent time researching investment strategy ( which can be surprisingly simple) or like myself that put it with an IFA for a fee but still get a decent return.
All of life is compromise IMO. On the pensions board they tend to view people who overpay their mortgage as being a bit daft. I have no issue because I’ve overpaid mine and saved for a pension at the same time and still not lived on bread and water. Hopefully my bread in retirement will be more focaccio than stale and my water more Perrier than tap.