As long as the setup disk has level-adjustment tones (same volume that flips from speaker to speaker), even the budget "Sound & Vision" disk for under $20 will be fine. The expensive thing will be the Radio Shack SPL meter which I believe you can only find the digital version now. You might try eBay.
Both Avia and Digital Video Essentials are well respected as they have tutorials on how to do things as well as test patterns and instructions on how to adjust your television for optimal brightness/contrast/sharpness. So they are well worth the money.
But on the cheap: look in your DVD collection for a small logo that says "THX Optimizer". For a year or two, many premium titles included a small set of test-tones to level adjust your speakers with. This way you can spend the money on the SPL meter and wait on the setup disk.
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I hate to spend $50+ for something I won't use often-or will perhaps become outdated as I upgrade in the future.
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True. But the name-brand disks do something the cheaper disks/utilities dont: they instruct. While you may not do it often, the knowledge you gain will last a lifetime.
But you can also learn much from our own Primer and FAQ article:
Home Theater Calibration
Good Luck.