I spend every penny I can on components. I enjoy them. Once broken in and I know what they sound like… 600 to 1000 hours. Then I start thinking about upgrading cables and interconnects.
For one thing, you have to know what your new system sounds like… this takes time. Also, you can start accumulating funds in small amounts to start thinking about additional costs.
Typically… I’ll enjoy my new components for some months, then do some speaker and room changes. Then, I swap some cables or interconnects from what I have around. This helps me formulate an idea of how to fine tune the system. Then over a couple years or so I will replace/upgrade cables and interconnects to achieve maximum performance. Then I just listen to music for the next five or ten years until my next upgrade cycle.