Hi Eeda!!
Yes a good chart is definitely worth it. Personally I favour having a couple at different scales.
I use these
http://www.bintel.com.au/Accessories...oductview.aspx for an overall view of the skies and the brighter objects. Makes it very easy to identify constellations and large patterns when deciding where to go next.
The next step could be Sky Atlas 2000 or Uranometria 2000. Personally I like Uranometria, but it can be a bit daunting at first, and for an 8" it plots many objects that you will never see. But the scale ensures that star hopping is very easy.
Malcolm