Notes for all (especially for the beginners out there)
Gossen Lunasix and the various models of their Luna Pro meters are all good (most of these can do both incident and reflected readings); you should be able to find these for $50 and under.
Most of Gossen's early meters were designed for mercury batteries, but the Wein replacements work fine (just not as long). The Sekonic meters of the last 20 or so years are good, too, as are the later models of the Weston Master series. Battery-operated meters will generally be more useful in low light, but selenium cell (non-battery) meters are fine for daylight and brighter interiors and night scenes. Selenium cells will eventually die, but there are a lot of Westons and GE Meters from the 40s and 50s that are still accurate, and can often be found for a few dollars.
Also watch for the later editions of Kodak's Pocket Photoguide, which has wheel charts for exposure, depth-of-field, flash, etc....very handy back-up and learning tool.
Regardless of what meter you buy, remember that it's not creating the photograph..YOU are.
You will find that with practice and experience that you will be able to look at most any scene and be able to figure the correct exposure with your eyes and mind...