Gosh, $16 I'll consider pine needles if it works. Then there is the color decision.
If I stand back and look at myself, why is it my initial reaction to veloplugs is they are pricey but without flinching I ponder a carbon fork? In terms of objective value veloplugs look like they'd eliminate most of my concern about internally induced flats, on my current rim that is 50% or more of my wheel angst; more so on my daughter's bike where I solved the problem with 2 rim tapes.