My advice is to piece it together over time and only as funds become available sock a twenty away a couple of times a month then add those nice gift checks to it (Birthday, Christmas), unless there is a killer sale. Add a nice new component every year. As long as you aren't married your system will come along before you know it.
If you buy a system out of a box, your ears will become used to it and you'll think it sounds good, but it isn't. So, go listen to several systems and get lots of advice. If I were going to be choosy on any one component it would be the front left/right and center speakers.
The space you put these in is not to be overlooked. I'm talking room dimension, acoustics and getting those front left and rights away from the walls.
Room Acoustics
Start with a decent receiver, set it to stereo (two spkrs)
add two excellent bookshelf speakers (like Nostatics)
add a powered sub woofer
add a TV
add a center channel
add rear speakers