Sketchup isn't too bad, ime. It's a lot easier than other cad programs. It's important to find a tutorial because it has some idiosyncrasies which you aren't going to happen upon solving. But overall the program is well documented and easy to use once you learn.

After about 3 projects on Sketchup, I'm now proficient enough to crank out simple furniture in a few minutes. That 15 minutes spent modeling things in sketchup pays dividends when it comes time for cutting and assembly.