Sounds like the right decision for now. Getting out and riding is the most important part, regardless of your rig. I know people that get out and shred on old hardtails in the same group as folks with 10K superbikes. Everyone has fun.
My advice would be to only spend money on your old bike to keep it safely working until you can justify a new one. Adding a new fork or rear shock would be expensive and I don't think you would get the proportionate benefit.
I've gone from a 2001 Cannondale F-400 (stolen in Kingston, ON) to a 2011 Rocky Mountain Altitude, to a 2015 DaVinci Troy Carbon. While I've had fun on every one, the Troy and similar new bikes is/are absolutely amazing to ride. Even between '11 and '15 bikes changed substantially in terms of geometry, and wheel size. Upgrading parts on your old bike wouldn't help how dated the frame, stem, bar width, brakes or wheel size are.
You can get a decent deal on a used bike, I see many 1 or 2 year old carbon bikes that were $5K - $7K going for 1.5K - 2.5K. If you're patient you can find ones that have not been ridden hard. From my personal experience on the DaVinci frames, which have a lifetime warranty, they can handle a tonne of abuse. Here is an example where many expected the frame would have snapped:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2aqKyuAwfA If you're not into racing or keeping up with 20 year olds, you don't need a carbon bike with a fancy drive train. A newer aluminum frame bike with base model components would still be an incredible upgrade from your existing. Brakes would be the only exception that I would personally recommend spending extra money on.
Lots of good info on these topics and used bikes for sale on
www.pinkbike.com
