Which Costs More!?

My rent is increasing.

Of course it is, I'm living alone for the first time in four years.  Thankfully, I now have a grownup job, which means that I can afford to pay a little more.  I'm also not as picky about climate control, I eat cheaper, and I plan to take this year of living singly as a great way to get back on track with my writing, which is the cheapest hobby there is.

To take a bit of the sting and sticker shock out of knowing that I'm paying a whole apartment's worth of rent myself, I've devised a game called: Which costs more!?  I will use this as a tool to remind myself, that really, honestly and truly, I'm not going to wake up broke in six months.

Rent:
Yes, my rent will cost more because it will be paid for entirely by me rather than split by the two of us, that's a given.  But, rent for my new apartment is cheaper than the place we're currently in, cheaper than lots of places I looked at, cheaper than cheap property in Turkey and cheaper than buying a house.

Internet:
Internet will cost me more because currently BF pays for it.  I'm hoping that my new downstairs neighbors and I might be able to share wireless, but I have to meet them first.

Heating/Cooling:
My new place has gas heat and new, well-sealed windows, and I am not getting an air conditioner (which I may regret).  I don't mind being a little cool in the winter and a little warm in the summer, so hopefully I can keep the climate control costs down.  Plus, I'm on the third floor, which should mean I get a piece of the heat action from the floors below me, and when the summer becomes unbearable, I'll go to the movies and/or take a cold bath for hours and hours.

Food:
I eat significantly less than BF, and I eat a lot cheaper (lentils are awesome!).  I'm keeping the deep freeze, so I can continue to do batch cooking and hopefully keep food costs down.  Presently, we're spending almost $400/month on groceries; I want to get that down to $200 or lower, and do more 'shop the pantry' months.

Alcohol:
I need to cut back on drinking anyway, and we tend to drink more when we're together.  Plus, I have low standards when it comes to quality, and low standards are cheap!

Household Misc:
This should be a bit cheaper for me as well.  I'm out of the house already 40 hours a week or more, and I'll just do what I always do: Use up every last little bit of everything, use more rags vs paper towels, occasionally take the ends of the toilet paper at work.  It's a lot easier to be crazy fastidious when you live alone, because it seems less crazy.

One thing I am looking forward to is an experiment in minimalism.  The plan is to just not have any more than I need, and to not spend on a bunch of new things to fill my space.  I may need to acquire some small furniture pieces, or a rug, but for the most part, I have everything I need, and that's a nice, solid feeling.