A C182 PLT FLEW INTO MARGINAL VFR AND OR IFR WX IN HIS ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO HOME BASE.

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THE FOLLOWING IS AN ACCOUNT OF MY VFR FLT INTO MARGINAL/IFR CONDITIONS. THE EVENTS LEADING TO THE INCIDENT INCLUDE MY FAILURE TO ACQUIRE AND EVALUATE THE WX CONDITIONS AT MY DEST; MY FAILURE TO HAVE THE PROPER APCH PLATES IN THE ACFT; AND MY FAILURE TO TERMINATE THE FLT AND RETURN TO THE ORIGINATING ARPT. I SPENT MOST OF THE DAY WAITING FOR THE CEILINGS TO LIFT FOR A VFR FLT TO SUX. I TOOK THE C182RG FROM CBF TO FET THE NIGHT BEFORE IN PREPARATION FOR THE FLT TO SUX. WHEN IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT THE CEILING WOULD NOT LIFT ENOUGH FOR MY PLANNED TRIP; I DECIDED TO RETURN THE C182 BACK TO ITS HOME BASE AT CBF. AFTER MY CLB UP TO 2400 FT MSL I REALIZED THAT I DID NOT HAVE MY APCH PLATES FOR THE VOR-A TO CBF. I DECIDED THAT VISIBILITY WAS 3 MI AND I COULD NAVIGATE THE HAZE WHILE STAYING VFR. I CONTACTED OMAHA APCH; INDICATED MY INTENTION TO FLY DIRECT TO CBF AND I RECEIVED A VFR SQUAWK CODE. THE CLOUD BASES WERE HARD TO JUDGE HOWEVER THEY SEEMED TO GET LOWER OVER THE COURSE OF MY 42 MI TRIP. I DSNDED 300 FT IN AN ATTEMPT TO REMAIN 500 FT BELOW THE OBSCURE LAYER. RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED 2 MI FROM CBF WHERE I MADE A VISUAL APCH TO LAND. DURING MY DRIVE HOME IT BEGAN TO DAWN ON ME HOW FOOLISH AND RISKY THE FLT WAS. IT WAS A TEXTBOOK CASE OF 'GET-THERE-ITIS' AND A BLATANT SCUD-RUN THROUGH CLASS C AIRSPACE. THROUGH MY STUDIES I HAVE HAD EXTENSIVE TRAINING ON DANGEROUS ATTITUDES AND AERONAUTICAL DECISION MAKING. I VOWED NEVER TO TAKE ANY UNDUE RISKS AND ALWAYS FLY CONSERVATIVELY. ONLY IN HINDSIGHT DID I RECOGNIZE MY PROGRESSIVE AND MOUNTING ERRORS IN FAILING TO ASSURE A SAFE IFR FLT AND APCH TO MY DEST. I WILL BE MUCH MORE DILIGENT IN TAKING MARGINAL WX CONDITIONS INTO ACCOUNT BEFORE EVERY FLT IN THE FUTURE.