Number Cruncher,
The IMC gives you a much better chance of emerging alive from this sort of situation, which must count as a significant plus!
Many people have been caught out in this sort of weather in the UK. Grob Driver did well to execute a 180 degree turn in a stressful and dangerous situation, but this is a classic fatal accident scenario.
The biggest benefit of the IMC in this sort of circumstance is that you don't need to get into it in the first place.
Instead of being forced to keep descending to maintain VMC you can stay at a safe altitude inside the cloud or climb above it if that's practicable. The IMC training will teach you how to do that - not to IR standards, but well enough to keep you alive. You will also be legal, though in such a situation that probably isn't one's main worry.
As far as the lack of any instrument procedures at your home field goes you're right - it means that the IMC (or IR for that matter) isn't going to get you all the way home by aeroplane, but at least no part of the journey will involve a hearse!
The cheaper alternative to the IMC is simply to be cautious about the weather. At this time of year that means a lot of days when you either stay at home, or end up stranded somewhere. If you need to use an aircraft as a vaguely practical means of transport then an IMC (and a night qualification) is pretty much a pre-requisite for a large part of the year. If on the other hand you prefer flying on nice days rather than miserable ones then you may never use an IMC, though there's quite a lot to be said for it simply as a means to learn about some different aspects of flying. Almost everyone finds that the IMC course improves their general flying too.