TRAVEL - First, I see that you don't have the kind of credit score that would allow you to apply for CCs with travel mile bonuses (which could cut your travel spending by a TON). It doesn't sound like you have a ton of flexibility on travel home for holidays, or to Japan for your bother's graduation. But there's the possibility of saving on the beachy/tropical trips, especially if you're not set on a destination or particular time. Flightdeal send alerts for cheap flights, and here's the Chicago-specific website:
http://www.theflightdeal.com/category/flight-deals/chicago/ . You can set up a 'recipe' on the If This Then That website (info on how here:
https://saverocity.com/milewriter/2014/12/27/how-do-you-find-those-super-cheap-flights/). I do this, and set things up so I get a text whenever there's a new flight deal for my city. This setup is perfect when you're flexible on where/when to travel. (I too love traveling, so I care a lot about finding ways to do it while spending less money, rather than cutting my travel.) Also, consider using AirBnB when traveling - I do this, and it's nice to have the space/privacy of an apartment, and it's way cheaper than getting a hotel.
CABLE - Figure out how you like to watch HGTV, and find creative ways to do it without spending money (or by spending less money). I definitely understand the allure of those shows, I have at times been hooked myself. First, hulu has some episodes of some HGTV & DIY network shows for free. Next, a bunch of episodes are on Youtube, if you don't mind sometimes less quality of image or slightly shifted/smaller screen. HGTV has some full episodes on their website, as well. And you can buy individual seasons on iTunes - so if there's a particular show you love to watch, just pay for the season and watch each episode as it downloads every week.
GROCERIES - Your grocery is how much my husband and I spend ... though we do cook most of our food. I am utilitarian with my cooking - I don't enjoy it or feel it's a creative pursuit, but I like to eat healthier/cheaper than restaurants, so I look for meals with a good ratio of time/effort and amount of food produced. If you're someone who can't eat the same meal several times in a row, this might not be a good suggestion (but since you mentioned chilli for lunch, I figured you'd be receptive). I love crockpot meals - I make soups and chilli. Current faves are classic chicken noodle, creamy chicken wild rice, split pea soup with ham, and turkey chilli. I just googled for the recipes. I will buy whole carrots, onions, and celery and take some time to chop them all up and create baggies of chopped vegetables to go in my freezer. Thus, when I make the soup, all I need to do is boil water to add to broth (I like the better than boullion chicken paste), dump in the veggies, dump in the meat, add the spices, and then leave it for several hours. It's easy/fast and makes a bunch of meals. The other thing I like to do is make salads. It does mean there's prep time every day (because you can't exactly pre-make salad for the week), but it's mindless because you're just washing and chopping, and I find this to be pretty painless since I'll do it while watching something on my laptop, or listening to a podcast. I do lettuce, tomato, cucumber (some bell peppers, but those don't last super long), avocado, green onion, and season with salt and olive oil. I just love the taste of a fresh salad, so the effort feels worth it.
Your housing/commuting/work situation is what's most problematic and what could yield the biggest benefit from changing, but you were in the exact same position when you posted before, so I don't think I can say anything (again) that would convince you to change. I will say, though, that being in the similar position of living in a city where none of my friends are, I hope you're thinking long-term about how to change where you are, by getting a job closer to home/friends. Never hurts to do research in advance, think about potential employers, connections you have, organizations/societies to join, networking, certifications, etc.
Good luck!