RETURN value directly from INSERT with RETURNING clause
You can simplify the whole function and use an OUT parameter, so the value is returned at the end of the function automatically:

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION make_date_from_configuration(
          wdc_id uuid
        , from_date date
        , OUT ret_id int) AS
$func$
BEGIN
   INSERT INTO configuration_dates (
          weekly_date_configuration_id, "from", "to", price, activity_configuration_id)
   SELECT wdc_id
       , (from_date || ' ' || wdc.start_time)::timestamptz
       , (from_date || ' ' || wdc.start_time)::timestamptz + wdc.duration
       , wdc.price, wdc.activity_configuration_id
   FROM  weekly_date_configurations wdc
   WHERE wdc.id = wdc_id
   AND   wdc.valid_through @&gt; from_date                        -- starts in the date range
   AND   get_bit(wdc.weekdays
               , EXTRACT(isodow FROM from_date)::int - 1) = 1  -- valid day of the week
   RETURNING id
   INTO  ret_id;  -- returned at the end automatically
END
$func$  LANGUAGE plpgsql;


All the variables and assignments and conditional expressions are just needless noise. Can be a single SQL command: shorter and faster.

You still need the INTO clause, though. (And I fail to see why you try to avoid that.)

Or you can use a plain SQL function instead, to return the value directly:

CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION make_date_from_configuration(wdc_id uuid, from_date date)
  RETURNS int AS
$func$
   INSERT INTO configuration_dates (
               weekly_date_configuration_id, "from", "to", price, activity_configuration_id )
   SELECT wdc_id
       , (from_date || ' ' || wdc.start_time)::timestamptz
       , (from_date || ' ' || wdc.start_time)::timestamptz + wdc.duration
       , wdc.price, wdc.activity_configuration_id
   FROM  weekly_date_configurations wdc
   WHERE wdc.id = wdc_id
   AND   wdc.valid_through @&gt; from_date                      -- starts in the date range
   AND   get_bit(wdc.weekdays
               , EXTRACT(isodow FROM from_date)::int- 1) = 1 -- valid day of the week
   RETURNING id  -- return directly
$func$  LANGUAGE sql;