Yes, tire levers are pretty essential to get most tires off. I used to use a couple of flat head screwdrivers when I was a kid but I would not recommend them.
$8 bucks a pop to put a tire on? I guess that is reasonable, I wouldn't know, shop wrenches can't do everything for free. But I would suggest if you were to pay the money let them know you would like them to show you how to do it.