Mark, I think the results are really good given that this is your first attempt in years AND you used a new to you Petri!
There are ways of bringing the cost of film down. I use Kentmere 400 b&w film which is under $6/roll. Then I develop it myself using Cinestill DF96 Monobath which is one chemical that does everything. It is good for over 16 rolls which works out to under $1.50/roll to develop.
So those two things in itself really cuts down on the cost. Then if you have a digital camera you can scan the film yourself.
The best/easiest/cheapest way to get super results is to use one of the last generation AF 35mm slrs. I favour the Nikon N80 but just because I already had Nikon gear. All the major players have an equivalent. This stuff is super cheap and the results are indistinguishable from high end gear.