I think you've got your head screwed on straight, and like the others said, you'll make the biggest weight reductions by learning what you don't need. If you just start replacing everything you carry now, you'll just end up with lighter versions of stuff you don't need.

I started out like most folks here - American Camper pack, Sterno stove, polyethylene tarp - and, yes, a very heavy Coleman slumber-party sleeping bag. It worked great, and I was happy.

As the kids grew, finished college, and started their own lives, the financial pressures eased. I've been lucky enough, the last few years, to be able to indulge myself in a lot of those shiny new toys - from the backpacking stores, not Big Fish. It's added another dimension to the hobby, and greatly improved my knowledge of how gear is made and intended to function - but it hasn't really made me any happier when I'm out (it hasn't made me less happy either.) You've already figured out my point: gear is secondary to the main thing, getting out and away to restore your soul and your sanity.

Worry about the shiny new toys in a few years. Just have fun now.