The dinky dink Ikea table I think your turntable is probably sitting on - Lack? Corras? - is actually pretty well regarded by a lot of turntable guys. Leave it alone for a while IMO.
I'll go with a lot of the previous posts and suggest a vacuum cleaner. I use a KAB USA EV-1 and a hand held steam cleaner. The KAB was about $170 and the steamer was about $30 or so. There's nothing like a good clean album. If its not squeaky clean, it doesn't matter what gear you're running.
The cleaning matters even more if you've got old vinyl that's been sitting around and/or you're buying used stuff from local shops or garage sales.
Other than that, get more albums, beverages, and time to enjoy your music. After you've got a lot more disposable money, then start upgrading. Not that this stuff has to be expensive by any means. There is some great gear out there for not a ton of cash, regardless of what some people here may tell you.
I'll go with a lot of the previous posts and suggest a vacuum cleaner. I use a KAB USA EV-1 and a hand held steam cleaner. The KAB was about $170 and the steamer was about $30 or so. There's nothing like a good clean album. If its not squeaky clean, it doesn't matter what gear you're running.
The cleaning matters even more if you've got old vinyl that's been sitting around and/or you're buying used stuff from local shops or garage sales.
Other than that, get more albums, beverages, and time to enjoy your music. After you've got a lot more disposable money, then start upgrading. Not that this stuff has to be expensive by any means. There is some great gear out there for not a ton of cash, regardless of what some people here may tell you.