Well, I think it's worth it. In the ~10hrs of flying the 3, I had one fairly serious crash; nothing was broken (aside from my pride, and the props), but at that point I realized how gutted I'd be if it was broken, and I had no coverage. That situation was just flying a little too close to a building, the wind caught it and pushed it into the building before I could react. Then it hit the ground props first, and of course in the middle of that panic I didn't kill the prop rotation fast enough, thus ensuring all of them were broken while trying to stir up the mud they were face-down in. Of course I should have started with a 'throw away' drone, but that's not really my style, and it sounds like it's not yours, so with all that in mind, yes, I'd pay for coverage, at least for your first training year
I fly with removable prop guards. Removable makes it easy to put the bird back into its pelican case. The guards can show up in videos, but if you are gentle with acceleration - no problem. If its for your own giggles, then leave them on. every time I fly without guards, I don't land flat and chip up my props. Took a few times for me to learn that lesson. I alway have spare prop/spare battery. A quick crash can cost the entire trip without backups.
