[Pernod]

My 2c worth:

a) Practice! Its free, and will make far more difference to your shots. When I first started someone told me 'your first 10,000 shots will be your worst'. Looking back on my work I can see where they were coming from ;-). I'd consider spending some money on a Flickr account and joining the 'threesixtyfive' project.

b) Bag. Its a must. Protection for your gear from weather, bumps and prying eyes.

c) 50mm lens. It will let you play with a totally different lens (wide 1.8, but no zoom - its a learning curve).

d) Macro 'diopters'. Small magnifying glass type things that screw onto your lens and will let you play with 'close up' shots.

e) Plenty of memory cards, and a card reader.