I buy in bulk (5 lbs. if available) as it's a bit cheaper that way. I let coffee age 3-4 days from the actual roast date, then vacuum pack/deep freeze (-20 minimum) in 8 oz. increments. Then I simply thaw 1 pack as needed, giving it a few hrs. to reach room temperature. I average using 8 oz. in 3 days so no time to go stale.
Contrary to popular belief, if coffee is FRESH, prepped properly, then placed in deep freeze, there is no loss in quality. If frozen at 4 day point (out of roast) once thawed it should taste/smell like it's still at that 4 day point.
I started tinkering with this concept when trying to preserve decaf on a commercial level as I used very little and was tired of wasting $ and time trying to pull decent decaf espresso over a 2 week period of time (how often I ordered from roaster). I tinkered with vacuum packing/deep freezing as well as modifying the decaf grinder to be used for single dosing and found myself using decaf that was approaching 8 weeks in age, but performing/tasting like it was 2-3 days out from roast. That reduced my waste to 0% while maintaining quality as close to 100% as possible. I knew if it worked that well for PITA decaf espresso it'd work with anything. Been storing ALL coffee this way since and 0 regrets/issues.
FWIW I use a FoodSaver device, usually found at WalMart/Target for $140~. Top end vacuum/sealers can cost alot, but I find the FoodSaver to be a good middle-of-the-road option between high priced options and the lowest cost devices commonly used to vacuum seal using ZipLoc type bags, which don't work well based on previous use. Only downside with FoodSaver is cost of plastic bag material, but I have a simple rationale regarding this. 1 roll of this bag material cost $10-12 and I can use that 1 roll to vacuum pack between 15-20 lbs. of coffee. Preserving just 1 lb. of coffee pays for itself with the cost of that 1 roll... I will also say if the bag material is used sparingly, it can be cut/reused for smaller amounts of coffee, etc. so it is recyclable to a degree.
