best and worst

As recent reports have shown, Illinois is leading the Midwest in outbound migration, or, in other words, people leaving the state. If you've lived here in Illinois for a while, you know there are lots of reasons given for people bolting the state. One of those reasons is high property taxes.

If you're a single (unmarried) person here in the Land of Lincoln, you may have, at one time or another, wondered if there might be a better place to be in order to meet that special someone. In a nutshell, is there a better place than Illinois for the singles lifestyle?

Illinois may have a myriad of problems and issues, but dental health does not appear to be one of them. In fact, there are 47 other states that lag behind us.

We've often lamented that Illinois too often shows up poorly in lists of good things about states, and ranks very highly on the lists of bad things. When it comes to raising kids, it seems that we're not great, but we're doing pretty well.

The answer to that question is...well, kinda yes and kinda no. When it comes to our country's happiest states, Illinois comes down solidly...in the middle.

Ah, the joys of the summer road trip. As a kid, I saw a good portion of this country from the back seat of a Buick. My parents believed, as I do, that before you go off to see the rest of the world, you should take a look at your own backyard first. However, according to a new study from WalletHub, Illinois might not be on anyone's list of must-see places.

If you've ever wondered if getting out on Black Friday (BF) was worth it, you're not alone. There are lots of opinions and theories on whether you should buy earlier, or wait for the markdowns and special pricing on BF. Those who buy earlier claim that they're avoiding the "markup before the markdown" that comes with shopping on BF, while those who head out the door at 4:30am to get to t