I've been playing a lot with my pension contributions over the last 3 or 4 years, to actually gauge how much I need to live as I do now. I was quite surprised how little I need, and I've been taking this very limited income for around 2 years now, so I think its a reasonable figure. In fact, despite the inflation over the last 2 years, the figure is still working.
Turns out, I'm a really cheap date, LOL.
Downside now, I've been paying so much into my pension (your 31% is small fry!), I now need to find the best way to get it out without donating too much to Rachel from Accounts, because I'm perfectly capable of pissing it up the wall as much as she will.
I'm at a point where (most - I'm always going to put in what I need to get the company contributions to max, and also to stay away from higher tax brackets) future contributions might be better to take in salary, pay the tax now, and invest with less of a tax burden when I take the money out....
...but I prefer to bury my head in the sand
