Tip - Big City To Small Town: A Personal Cost-Of-Living Update

Nearly a year ago, I wrote about how moving from San Francisco to rural Illinois would change my economic reality. Some friends even assumed that it was so cheap to live in the country that I wouldn't have to work at all! My plans actually changed a bit, and I've spent the last 8 months in one of Illinois' small towns (Pop. 9,000) and figured it was about time for a check-in...