They're worth every penny and more.
+1
But I would add - go for a high spoke count hub/rim. Most wheels are built for people who want to go fast and will never put on as many miles as a commuter will - the priority for my commute bicycle is reliability and comfort over speed, which means more spokes. May cost a little more, but every time I think that I am being extravagant with what I spend on my bike, I take a peek in the folder that my wife keeps for the maintenance receipts for her car. Last time I looked in there I saw a quote for a new muffler/catalytic converter at $2K, made me feel far less guilty about spending $150 on a new pannier

. For the record, my commute bike has hand built wheels, 36 spokes each, Phil Wood hub in the back, and Schmidt dynohub in front.