Earlybird,
I do think a new thread might be a good idea - post a link on this one so we can come and help you!
I have an old version of this book which was invaluable when we were getting ready to move over here. I relied on it a lot in the first few months after we moved.
IMHO, the cost of living is not as cheap as I was led to believe but then I lived on the East Coast and am now in Chicago. Will you be in a big city? I imagine that TN will be cheaper than many places anyway. Have a look at this to see if it helps.
I find food expensive - grocery stores are (at least here) not as good as many in the UK - bread is expensive, as is cheese, fruit, veg and lots of other things although you can often get a reward card type thing which will save you quite a lot.
My utilities for an old 2 bed apartment were about $30 each per month for gas and electricity. Water was included.
Cars are definitely far cheaper to run. Petrol in Chicago is about $4 per gallon - I have a small-medium sized car and it costs about $40 to fill it up. It's do about 200 miles of city driving on that. You don't need an MOT and maintenance (oil & breaks) are relatively cheap.
Clothes can be cheap too. Have a look at Old Navy which is the cheap end of the Gap conglomerate.
Remember to take into account Health & Dental insurance as well as taxes (state, city, federal) and FICA contributions.
Other things to consider: Cable, Phone, internet, cell phone and you MUST have Netflix