Crap, looks like I'm a bit late to this party. Still, I'd like to mention that...

If you really want to do something for your photography, start working with lighting.

Find out what you can do with natural light. Learn how highlights and shadows bring pictures to life. Get a few reflectors (they are cheap). Experiment with them. Eventually, you may want to add a strobe or two to the mix. Use different materials to soften or shape their light. Once you're comfortable with your lighting, maybe in a year or so, and you still are into photography, a used DSLR might actually be worth it. Anything past 2010 or so will do nicely, but a Semi-pro is preferable for build quality and ease of (manual) use. Body doesn't matter nearly as much as glass does. Don't believe any reviews implying otherwise. If money isn't an issue, look into EVIL systems. Those can do a lot to reduce the "camera is great but also at home" factor. Personally, I used to carry my DSLR around everywhere, along with a few lenses. A little insanity may help with this approach.