I keep a small container (pint sized) on the counter with the beans I'm going to use over the next few days; the rest of the pound goes in the freezer. All due respect to the Alton Brown worshipers, but I've never noticed any degradation in quality. My beans are just as oily and pretty once they're defrosted as they were before they went in. Granted, I make coffee every day without fail, so it's not sitting around forever.

You can keep well-sealed coffee in the freezer for a while; my father kept a can of ground decaf for guests there and it was good forever.

If you're going to be trying the frou-frou stuff, do try the cold-brewing at least once. I thought it was overrated, but I like my coffee strong enough to clean silver and simple, so methods that mellow it out aren't going to be my thing. But it's easy and forgiving and perfect for summer.