How do I start?

I'm a newbie in this arena, but would like to get started. Probably like most people, I'm on a tight budget. I decided I'm going to just start by buying piece by piece. I've got a cheap 27" TV and a cheap DVD player already. My plan is to buy something each year for my system. My question to you experts is what should I buy first? I don't necessarily mean brands (but if you want to recommend some that's fine too) rather should I start with getting a receiver, speakers, etc.? I'm thinking about $1000-$1500 is my starting budget. Thanks in advance for any help,

sah22