Can't progress

I'm no better than you are, but I would suggest that before you invest a lot of money and time in books and study, analyse where you are losing the games you are losing.  Opening, endgame, middle game, strategic placing of pieces, tactics?  Then concentrate your efforts on where you are weakest.

Join Team Canada,

Play Vote Chess and listen to how the best people reason........it is a great team with very good players that share what they are thinking!

From an old friend who got you hooked on this :)

I recommend picking 3 different openings and play Chess.com's computer set on 1600 until you can use those three openings well enough to win 50% of the time with white and until you can win 50% of the time with black. I am certain it plays at various difficulties between 1600 and 1999 on that setting. It varies its defenses and openings a lot. It will keep you on your toes. If you can do that, I am certain you will start climbing in ratings points against live human foes. The sweet thing is, it won't cost you any ratings points to get there.