Skip to content
Future West

A beacon for uncertain times

  • Live on Less
  • Move
  • Build Resilience
  • About
  • Contact
  • Get Field Notes

Cal Westermann

Cal Westermann is the editor of Future West. Swiss-born, he worked in corporate jobs in Australia, the US, Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai for 18 years, left corporate life around 2013 and now lives with his family in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Does Solar Coupled With an EV Pay Back? Is It a Durable Way to Lower Your Utility Costs?

October 23, 2026October 22, 2026 by Cal Westermann
Solar and EV at home: couple beside an electric car plugged into a home charger, with solar panels and a wall battery

In the article on buying an old car, I stuck to combustion engines. This is the other half of the story: panels on the roof, an electric car in the driveway and a Tesla-style home battery on the garage wall. The question is simple. If the sun fuels both your house and your car, does … Read more

Categories Live on Less Leave a comment

Cost of Living Abroad 2026: 16 Expat Cities vs the US and Europe

October 25, 2026October 19, 2026 by Cal Westermann
Cost of living abroad: rabelo boats on the Douro river in front of the Ribeira district of Porto, Portugal

How much less a young US family of four and a retired couple spend in 16 expat cities, as a share of US costs, plus nomad and retirement visa links.

Categories Move Leave a comment

Fight or Flight: What History Teaches About Leaving in Time

October 27, 2026October 19, 2026 by Cal Westermann
Fight or flight: a traveler at a fork in a mountain road, storm on one side and sunlight on the other

Weimar Germany, Nazi Germany and Zimbabwe show why people who moved early kept more, and how to build a legal plan B before you need it.

Categories Move Leave a comment
Newer posts
← Previous Page1 Page2

Future West

Practical answers for rising costs: live well on less, move somewhere cheaper, or build financial resilience.

General information only, not financial, tax, legal or medical advice.

Navigation

  • Home
  • Live on Less
  • Move
  • Build Resilience
  • About
  • Contact

Important links

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclaimer
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Editorial Policy

Stay in touch

Questions or corrections? Use the contact page.

Get Field Notes, free every week.

Copyright © 2026 Future West. All rights reserved. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Future West is published by AAA Marketing Hub.