You have a great approach to enjoying this activity on a budget. Vinyl, especially if you buy gently used, is a great value. I've been pleasantly surprised to find that most of the new music I'm interested in is available on vinyl format. Building up your system slowly with used equipment is smart. As for cable, yeah -they make a difference, but no need to go too esoteric/expensive. Experiment with the low cost direct makers like anti-cables, Morrow, audio art. Then you can put your speakers on stands and records on shelves. Happy listening.
