Those little voltage "pens" come in handy also...not very accurate because they might beep when they shouldn't (stray voltage from even a telephone line) but I'd rather have it that way. Figure a decent wire stripper, multi-meter, one of those little plug-in testers and the "pen" might add up to $100. If you can't figure out a problem from there, "call Sparky".
Awe c'mon! I built a house and shop not long ago and had my young son do the majority of the wiring (with a licensed electrician checking in from time to time). He "LOVED" it...he's out of the house now but still remembers most of the basics (calls once and awhile when things don't make sense, usually because as any property gets older things tend to get confusing...e.g. need a "hot" for a new fixture they "steal" from an existing one). It's not that difficult to do in most cases. There are books in your hardware store (mine is in the shop right now but I think it is "Simplified Wiring"...covers a lot of stuff that you'll never need like entrance requirements but they do also cover the things you need to know from a safety and code aspect.
