A Tool belt is a huge time saver. There are many brands and styles to choose from. You can also buy different pockets and various holders to add to the belt for the tools you carry making it adaptable and useful for different types of projects. If you are following my page and doing finish carpentry I highly recommend one. No need to go spend a lot of money on one just buy a cheaper one and adapt it to your uses and to the hand tools you want in it a little at a time. Its nice for small projects or jobs which involve a few tools because you can just grab your belt knowing everything is in it and go directly to work without hunting everything you need down especially the basic carpentry tools you use the most.
A tape measure is essential for almost every project. The tape measure is only as good as the user and the old saying goes "measure twice and cut once." Accurate measuring will bring you good success. There are many styles and types of tape measures. One of the main things to look for when buying one is that it reads what you want such as some may be in metric. My preference is usually just a stanly 25 ft which has served me well and is relatively cheap. If you want one for shorter or longer readings its pretty much up to you as well as how much you want to spend. You can also get them with the smaller increments listed if you aren't good at breaking measurements down.
Next is a hammer which everyone needs at one point or another. There are many different kinds and sizes. A good all around size is the 16 oz. Again here in finish carpentry I carry a smaller one as the need for a big hammer is not necessary. You can also get bigger ones such as a 20 oz. but generally that is used in rough carpentry such as framing. If you are doing a lot of hard hammering it is a good idea to wear safety glasses. Safety is always important.
Basic carpentry tools absolutely includes a square. I have both the carpenter square which is a big L shaped square and the speed square which is a smaller triangle shaped square. The smaller one I carry in my tool belt and works good for smaller accurate cross cuts but also has many other uses. Of course the bigger one is for the bigger jobs as well as other uses. You will actually use these items more than you think.
I have and use 3 different size levels. One of which is a 4ft level. Another is a 2ft level and then the little torpedo level. In the 2 and 4 ft models I recomend the wood ones. Protect your levels with cases as these are not the cheapest but can last a very long time if properly taken care of. Most of the work can be done with a 4ft model no need to buy all three. Although here again the torpedo is nice to carry in my belt and has its places for use. You can also buy longer levels and a lot of times these are used in framing among other areas.

