I am interested in front end tools for setting alignment w/o needing a shop style system.

I just got a Longacre Castor/Camber tool which you bolt to the hub/wheel. It looks very nice and is pretty darn accurate according to literature.
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Longacre-78290-Digital-Caster-Camber-Gauge,8886.html

My question is regarding Toe. I bought a Toe tool, but after I got it I realized its more basic than I had anticipated, it just is a giant marking device and you then measure the difference between in front of the tire to the back side of tire.

I was thinking of some simple thing that would use a laser (which are cheap nowadays) on each front wheel and you could measure the lines to the variance from parallel.

FYI, you can put cookie sheets under front tires to let them move around easily during alignment, I did copy that idea!

 

A simple set of toe plates makes spot checking Toe easy. Most come with 2 measuring tapes. I have sets by Longacre and Quickcar.

For even cheaper, learn how to string a car - I guarantee you already have all the tools you need laying around. This has the added benefit of squaring the front and rear alignments to each other, which the toe plates cannot do.

Sam