Tony Watts worked as a chef for most of his life, including as head chef at several restaurants, before later taking over as manager of a fish and chip shop. But while he was focused on getting through each month, he never properly planned for retirement.
Tony, now 65, from Yorkshire, joined a workplace pension scheme early in his career, but later opted out when he was struggling with debt and needed as much take-home pay as possible. He then continued opting out of pension schemes throughout much of his working life.
Although his original pension pot continued to grow, by the time he turned 55 it was worth just £8,000 – nowhere near enough to fund a comfortable retirement. As soon as he was able to access it, Tony decided to cash in the whole pot and use the lump sum to clear his debt.
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Quick and life-changing tricks for a calmer, tidier home
Easy habits to declutter your home
I need someone to tidy up my attitude towards tidying. Who does one hire for that?
(Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
The habits audit
Subconscious habits can cause clutter so take regular pauses to stop and notice what you are doing during the day.
The re-entry reset
Establish a routine you follow every time you come home so the entrance stays clear.
Two young children wearing school uniforms exit their front door – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Late toilet training has become more common, putting pressure on teachers and taking up learning time (Getty)
The exit mindset
Each time you leave the house, take a minute to think: ‘What can I take out with me?’ To the tip? To the charity shop? To recycle?
Easy habits to declutter your home
The drop zone
Doing a clear-out for charity doesn’t need to be a big task. Have a donate box in a practical location to drop any unwanted items as you come across them.
(Photo: Westend61/Getty).
(Photo: Getty).
Dedicated home
Create a logical home for everything so it’s easier to find and keeps everything in place.
Easy habits to declutter your home
The quick scan
Each time you open a drawer identify a few items you can bin, donate or return to their rightful home.
Woman carrying box while moving and cleaning up at home happily – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Follow these rules to declutter your own home (Photo: Nadzeya_Kizilava/Getty/E+)
One in, one out rule
To manage wardrobe clutter follow the rule that a new item can only go in if you give something else away.
The daily check-in
Give yourself a few minutes at the start or end of the day to acknowledge the progress you’ve made.
Woman Refreshing the Bed with Clean Bed Sheets in a Bright Room – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
It can be far easier to seek an internal promotion rather than a new job elsewhere
The statistics
A trend of ‘job hugging’
12%
In January, available vacancies were down 12 per cent compared to a year prior.
According to the ONS it marked 39 consecutive quarters of decline.
51%
of UK employees plan to stay in their current roles, as Employment Hero’s first Annual Jobs Report shows. Four in 10 say competition is too high to take the risk.
So how can you improve your current situation without leaving?
Learn to humble brag
Your wins don’t always speak for themselves. Share them. Jump into conversations beyond your usual remit. How people see you today shapes the opportunities that come your way tomorrow. Even small updates can have an outsized impact.
VICTORIA MCLEAN, CEO OF CITY CV AND AN EXPERT IN CV AND PROFILE WRITING
Drive Talent Investments with Strategic Workforce Planning. A female job-seeker answering questions during a job interview with a human resource manager in a business office. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Make your case – with data
Caption: Mid adult man with eyeglasses sitting on a comfortable sofa at home, thoughtfully writing notes in a small notebook while natural sunlight illuminates the room
Photographer: Milan Markovic
Provider: Getty Images
Source: E+
Keep a log
The chances of your boss remembering what you achieved in Q1 by December is low so keep a success log.
Treat it as a proposal
Show impact, link it to organisational goals,
and outline future
value, says McLean.
Male candidate handshake with the recruiter at job interview – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
(Photo: Shutterstock).
Don’t be shy
Ask your boss directly what you need to do to be promoted in the next six to 12 months.
Offer solutions to problems
Ask yourself: what keeps your organisation awake
at night?
Solve those problems and you shift from just doing your job to being a strategic asset.
Sharing your ideas and views with the people above you can really prove what you’re capable of.
Proactively initiate new projects
or processes.
It ‘s daunting but getting people to see you in a more elevated position before you get there is really effective.
Caption: Worried businessman biting his nail while waiting for a job interview with other candidates in a hallway of an office building.
Photographer: skynesher
Provider: Getty Images
Source: E+
Ask for training
It’s a fantastic signal to show how serious you are about your development.
As careers are no longer linear, a promotion may not be in your current role, but perhaps in the same company in a broader role.
Do some digging to find out what else might be available in other areas.
How to resolve the biggest rows that can end marriages
Private school, sex and housework can be some of the biggest causes of tension between warring couples.
Mike Talbot, a psychologist, and chief executive of UK Mediation [below], reveals how to fix them.
What couples row over
Parenting and schooling
Young couple having an argument. Woman is angry with man. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Psychologist Mike Talbot says parenting can expose ideological differences in a couple. He encourages people to listen to each other, and find a “third way”, something that they come up with between themselves, rather than sticking to one person’s opinion.
OPINION
3 min read
Money (or a lifestyle)
Caption: A mature couple sitting in bed and looking at each other angrily after a disagreement
Photographer: kupicoo
Provider: Getty Images
Source: iStockphoto
It’s common for couples to disagree on their property or finances.
Couples might have different ideas about what the best plan of action is for the future.
Dr Talbot says its important to find “common ground” on what both parties wish for, or worry about.
Agony Uncle
5 min read
Incompatibilities around sex
Dr Talbot has seen this when one person loses their sex drive. “It can happen when the couples get older, and she loses her sex drive during menopause, whereas the guy’s still as randy as he was when he was 20.”
Caption: Young couple having relationship difficulties at home. Both about 25 years old, Caucasian people.
Photographer: GoodLifeStudio
Provider: Getty Images
Source: E+
Copyright: DAMIR MIHAJLOVIC
Caption: Millennial black lady vacuuming floor while her husband watching TV, not helping her with household duties, cropped view. Unrecognizable young couple having problem with domestic chores
Photographer: Prostock-Studio
Provider: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Source: iStockphoto
Domestic workload
We get people disagreeing about how tidy the house should be, how neatly dressed the kids should be…
This goes back to the gender stereotypes.
The solution is to focus on value and to get the couple to think about the conflict in a different way.
Being a grandparent
is complicated
Celia Dodd, who looks after her grandchildren two days a week, says
there’s a fine line between being supportive and interfering.
Here she shares the things she’d never say or do with her own family.
What grandparents should never do
Ignore parents rules
It’s important to know what’s expected rather than second-guessing what the parents want, and possibly getting it wrong.
(Photo: Getty)
Caption: Parents and young child moving into a new house, unpacking belongings from cardboard boxes
Photographer: Vladimir Vladimirov
Provider: Getty Images
Source: E+
Send endless snaps
Friends understandably get irritated if you keep sending photos and long videos, especially if they’re longing for grandchildren of their own.
I’ve made it very clear to my own daughter that if she needs full time childcare, she’s going to have to sort that out herself (Photo: PeopleImages/ Getty)
What not to say
I wouldn’t do it like that…
The golden rule for grandparents – don’t offer advice unless it’s asked for, and never interfere – is almost impossible to get right.
You might feel like – how can you not interfere when you’re doing your best to support the family? It’s a fine line, and there are times when you’re bound to get it wrong.
What grandparents should never do
Grandchild, twilight parenting, grandparents, grandmother, baby, exhausted, tired – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Assume involvement
Although it’s a shock, it’s simply not on to drop in whenever you feel like it.
Beat yourself up
Being a grandparent is never 100 per cent bliss, despite what people say. Childcare can be boring as well as fulfilling.
(Photo: Paul Bradbury/Getty).
Naps before 1pm can lead to better cognitive performance in the following hours (Photo: Lord Henri Voton/Getty Images)
Admit tiredness
I don’t want them to stop asking me to babysit, and I certainly don’t want them suggesting I’m doing too much.
What grandparents should never do
Forget the years fly
Grandparents have to keep finding new ways to keep the connection close, by tapping into what your grandchild loves doing.
Conflict of family two generations old mother and adult daughter – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Grandparents and their young grandchildren relaxing at home – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Dismiss the parents
Even if you don’t agree with the way things are done – like using gentle parenting –
it’s a big help to understand why they are doing it rather than just dismiss them.
The price, size and variety of eggs differ
But which is the best value
for money and taste?
Food Editor Sophie Morris
tested 15 supermarket packs, scrambled and fried.
Her findings? The most expensive wasn’t the best.
Supermarket eggs taste test
M&S Golden Yolk Eggs
These shells win the beauty contest and the yolk colour is amazing when scrambled. 4/5
Taste the Difference
These Sainsbury’s eggs taste as good as they look with gorgeous orange middles and a rich flavour. 4/5
St Ewe Rich Yolk Eggs
These are “higher welfare” free-range eggs but the yolks taste no better than other high-end eggs, says Morris. 4/5
Supermarket eggs taste test
Aldi Golden Yolk Eggs
Winner! The Specially Selected eggs are a great price with a delicious yolk. 4/5
Savers Small Eggs
Morrisons Savers eggs are great for the price (£1.10) but not rich in flavour. 3/5
Burford Brown Eggs
They taste great, but not noticeably better than the other high-end eggs. The spend is more to do with branding. 4/5
Supermarket eggs taste test
7Tesco Finest Bluebell Aruacana
The pale blue shells won me over but the insides are just as rewarding with a rich flavour.
4/5
8Waitrose Duchy Organic Eggs
Their sunny yellow middle scrambles beautifully into light, fluffy folds.
4/5
9Lidl Deluxe Golden Yolk Eggs
They’re a great deal and the yolk is a lovely bright orange and the taste is rich and eggy.
3.5/5
Supermarket eggs taste test
M&S British Free Range Eggs
Large eggs with brown shells and a light orange yolk and they’re a great price for high-welfare large eggs. 4/5
Ocado Large Free Range Eggs
These are the best value large eggs that I try. The yolks are a dark yellow and the eggs turn out a lovely rich and fluffy scramble. 4/5
Supermarket eggs taste test
Packington British Free Range Eggs
Pretty white eggs with a yellow yolk that taste fine but, given the price, I expected a little more. 3.5/5
Supermarket eggs taste test
Waitrose No.1 Longstock Gold Eggs
They are delicious: meltingly rich, they scramble into fat folds. They have beautiful green shells, almost too pretty to eat. 4/5
Caption: Eggs are seen in a carton on Monday, April 13, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Photographer: Jenny Kane
Provider: AP
Source: AP
Caption: A detail of cracked egg falling into the pan as woman holds egg shells in both hands.
Photographer: SimpleImages
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Asda Organic Mixed Size Eggs
The yolk is a pale yellow and when scrambled the result is an unappealing yellowish grey colour. These are the most bland-tasting of the lot. 2/5
Food inflation could reach as much as 10 per cent by the end of 2026
Why you should stockpile
The modern food system is incredibly efficient – but that efficiency depends on a constant flow and just-in-time delivery. Stockpiling, at its best, isn’t panic buying. It’s creating a small buffer between us and a system that was never designed to pause.
Séamus Higgins, author of Food and Us: The incredible story of how food shapes humanity
Supermarkets will find ways of holding down the price of the basics, and try to make their money on the fancy lines (Photo: Roy James Shakespeare/Getty)
What you should consider buying
Tap water is generally safe to drink in Europe (Photo: Klaus Vedfelt/Getty)
Bottled water
While we are accustomed to free-flowing water, in recent years, supply has failed for a number of days in many areas of the UK.
Canned essentials
Morris keeps tomatoes, beans, pulses, chickpeas, lentils and fish in her cupboard.
Chickpeas are a great source of protein (Photo: Christian Mouysset)
Many of us like to add milk to our tea, so you may be wondering whether that affects its benefits (Photo: Maca and Naca/Getty)
Tea and coffee
As prices vary, and are increasing, it’s good to bulk buy if you can.
What you should stockpile
Dried goods
A base of dry goods, like rice, pasta, oats and flour, are the backbone of a reliable pantry. Make sure bags are stored correctly and replace them when they go out of date.
Caption: Asian girl grocery shopping in supermarket. She is choosing fresh fruit juice along the beverage aisle, reading the nutrition label and checking ingredients on the bottle. Making a healthier food choice and balanced diet. Healthy eating lifestyle
Photographer: d3sign
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Moment RF
Caption: Close up of a woman preparing a wholesome breakfast by pouring oats into a bowl from a plastic free jar with fresh berries.
Photographer: Dougal Waters
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Digital Vision
Copyright: Dougal Waters Photography Ltd
UHT drinks
UHT dairy, squash and long life milks and juices are worth keeping for emergencies.
What you should stockpile
A well-stocked freezer is also important, but it doesn’t need to be a huge space.
Focus on versatility and rotation in fruit, veg, fish and bread, and buy what you’ll use.
Caption: Close-up of peanut butter on toasted bread on light gray plate. Food background.
Photographer: Yuliia Zaitseva
Provider: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Source: iStockphoto
Peanut butter, or a jarred treat like jam or Nutella, is also a good idea.
Nut butters are a great source of protein, fibre, has a long shelf life and can be used on savoury and sweet foods.
Want to slow down brain ageing? Try a hobby
The hobbies that slow brain ageing
Practise a musical instrument
A study of 108 amateur musicians in the journal Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences found those with more musical experience had better attention control.
Caucasian mid adult patient writing a diary while recovering in the hospital ward – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Caption: IVANO-FRANKIVSK, UKRAINE – NOVEMBER 13, 2022 – Musicians of the NAONI Orchestra (National Academic Orchestra of Folk Instruments of Ukraine) hold a concert at the Ivan Franko Academic Regional Ukrainian Music and Drama Theatre in Ivano-Frankivsk, western Ukraine. (Photo credit should read Yurii Rylchuk / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Photographer: Future Publishing
Provider: Future Publishing via Getty Imag
Source: Future Publishing
Journal in the evening before bed
Reflecting on your day supports your memory as you’re rehearsing the things you’ve done, especially if you do it with pen and paper, says Prof Catherine Loveday, author of The Secret World of the Brain.
The hobbies that slow brain ageing
The flowering gardens at Cawdor Castle (Photo: Dennis Barnes/Getty/Stockbyte Unreleased)
Garden for 20 minutes
Connecting with nature replenishes cognitive resources and boosts vitamin D levels, says Loveday.
Join a knitting group
Knitting improves coordination and working memory – your brain’s ability to store and use information according to the British Journal of Occupational Therapy.
Senior female friends spending leisure time knitting while sitting at table in retirement home – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
As society sees the largest ever intergenerational shift of assets, younger clients will need people they can relate to, instead of relying on AI and social media for financial advice (Photo: Getty)
Learn a language
Learning a second language helps improve our ability to retrieve words.
The hobbies that slow
brain ageing
Games, like Minecraft, helps improve spatial representation, speed and reaction times.
Reading fiction twice a week stimulates the language parts
of the brain, says Loveday.
One study also found that chess players had better cognitive reflection and greater focus.
LIFESTYLE
5 min read
Why crossing your legs could be bad your health…
It’s one of those every day moves that we rarely think twice about – especially when sitting for longer periods – but it could be inadvertently contributing to your back pain, high blood pressure or even issues like infertility.
Why you shouldn’t cross your legs
The fact it’s comfortable doesn’t mean it’s good for us
62%
of people prefer to cross their right over their left leg.
While 26 per cent cross their left over the right and 12 per cent have no preference.
S shape
The natural shape of the spine when stood up is an S-shaped curve.
But when we sit in a chair with our feet flat on the ground our pelvis is rocked backwards creating a C shape.
In some people, blood pressure stays high despite medication, and hormones may be the reason (Photo: Tatiana Maksimova/Getty Images/Moment RF)
How does it impact blood pressure?
We’re restricting venous return of blood from peripheral tissues like the foot going back to the heart.
Says Adam Taylor, Professor and Director of the Clinical Anatomy Learning Centre, at Lancaster University.
Although your blood pressure should drop once you move from the position, it can have longer term impacts if you have pre-existing conditions like diabetes.
How it can impact the nervous system
In extreme it can
lead to a phenomenon
called foot drop.
Senior woman on sofa feeling and suffering from back pain. – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Over the short term crossing can give you pins and needles. If you leave it there for half an hour, an hour, or longer, you can actually interfere with the muscular function of the muscles, says Taylor.
LIFESTYLE
5 min read
How it impacts posture
(Photo: Justin Paget/ Getty).
Sam Bhide, advanced physiotherapy practitioner, believes the main impact of sitting cross-legged is gluteal tendonitis, resulting in moderate to severe hip pain.
One study found that sitting cross-legged leads to a bent and asymmetrical posture and other research shows it increasing the misalignment of the hips.
How it impacts fertility
We know that crossing your legs warms up the groin area by somewhere in the remit of three degrees. If you are a man who sits with your legs crossed for a prolonged period of time, that is not good for sperm production.
ADAM TAYLOR, PROFESSOR AND DIRECTOR OF THE CLINICAL ANATOMY LEARNING CENTRE
(Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA).
How to fix it
Caption: Incorrect seated posture.
Photographer: Science Photo Library
Provider: Getty Images/Science Photo Libra
Source: Science Photo Library RF
Get out of the habit
If crossing our legs is the cause, then the obvious solution is to do it less.
Microbreaks
Take time off from sitting, and put your musculoskeletal system through a normal range of motion.
There are many ways to improve your finances this Easter (Amr Bo Shanab/Getty Images/fStop)
(Photo: Justin Paget/Getty).
Focus on symmetry
If you’re a right over left leg crosser, try crossing the other way, so those forces are at least going through the body equally.
Tony later began saving into a pension again from scratch, but three years ago he was made redundant.
He now works as a cashier at B&M and has joined its workplace pension scheme. He is also due to receive the full state pension when he reaches state pension age in a year or two.
But he fears this still will not be enough to allow him to retire unless he receives an inheritance or releases money from his home.
Tony, who lives on his own, has paid off the mortgage on his three-bedroom house, which was recently valued at £260,000, and is considering downsizing to a smaller property to free up cash.
“Being honest, I can’t see a way I’ll ever be able to retire unless I inherit some money or sell my house. I have no savings whatsoever,” Tony said.
“I had racked up quite a lot of credit card debt that I needed to clear, and everyday living costs, plus staying on top of the debt, took priority over saving for retirement.
“I don’t really mind working, as it keeps me active and social, but it does mean I’ve had to sacrifice other things I wanted to do in my later years, like travelling and spending more time on hobbies, which I obviously regret.
“I’ve just always lived in the here and now, and I chose to keep more money when I was younger rather than saving for later, so this is the consequence of that choice.”
He added: “I am expecting that one day I might inherit a bit of money, so I might be able to use that to achieve my other goals, like travelling, but I know I can’t rely on that.”
Millions still facing pension poverty
Scottish Widows’ latest Retirement Report found that 31 per cent of people are on track for poverty in retirement, although this is an improvement on the 39 per cent recorded last year.
However, it warned that a large proportion of the population is still not saving enough to achieve even a basic standard of living once they stop work.
According to Pensions UK, a single person typically needs an annual income of around £45,000 to enjoy a “comfortable” retirement in the UK, while around £32,700 is needed for a moderate retirement and £13,900 is needed for a minimum standard of living.
The full new state pension currently pays £12,547.60 per year, meaning someone relying solely on this income would fall short even of the minimum retirement living standard.
This leaves many older workers facing difficult choices as they approach retirement age, including continuing to work, relying heavily on the state pension, downsizing their homes, or hoping for an inheritance to help fund later life.
Groups at particular risk of poverty in retirement include self-employed workers who do not save into a personal pension, women who take time off work or reduce their hours to care for children, and people on lower incomes where pension contributions feel unaffordable.
How to boost your pension
It is worth staying enrolled in your workplace pension scheme wherever possible. Your employer must contribute to your pension if you are eligible for automatic enrolment – usually a minimum of three per cent of your qualifying earnings. If you opt out, you lose this free money.
If you can afford to, increasing your pension contributions even by a small amount can make a significant difference over the long term. This is because of compounding, where investment returns grow your pot and boost your returns further, helping your pension grow faster over time.
Andrew Tully, technical services director at Nucleus Financial, said: “Contributing consistently to your pension throughout your working life is one of the most effective financial decisions you can make thanks to the power of compounding, which means that every pound saved today is worth significantly more in retirement.
“Even modest increases to your contributions can have a dramatic impact over a 30 or 40-year savings journey.”
If you are self-employed, it is worth opening and contributing to a personal pension if you can. You won’t benefit from employer contributions, but you can still receive pensions tax relief, where the government effectively tops up your pension with the money you would have paid in income tax.
Another way to boost your retirement savings is to track down any old workplace pensions you may have lost touch with after changing jobs.
There is an estimated £31.1bn sitting in lost pension pots in the UK, according to the latest research from the Pensions Policy Institute, so it is worth checking whether any of this money belongs to you.
You can use the Government’s Pension Tracing Service to find contact details for old workplace or personal pension schemes. It will not tell you whether you have a pension or how much it is worth, but it can help you contact the provider.
It may also be worth considering whether to consolidate older pensions into one pot, particularly if they have high charges. This can make your savings easier to monitor and help you see whether you are on track for retirement.
However, you should check carefully before transferring a pension, as some older schemes may have valuable benefits, guarantees or exit fees that could be lost if you move the money elsewhere.
Steve Watson, director of policy & research, Cushon, said it’s also worth getting a state pension forecast before retiring so you know how much you’ll have coming in that way. You can check by visiting: https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension.
“Then check your workplace pension to see what that’s likely to add up to. With these things figured out, it becomes much easier to make decisions,” he said. “You can work out whether you can afford to retire fully, cut down hours at work further, or keep going longer than originally thought.”