[jodi]

I drink an occasional cup, but DH drinks about two pots a day (no, that's not a typo, unfortunately!). We were averaging about one coffee maker per year when we bought the cheapo ones, but his parents (also heavy coffee drinkers) swore by their Bunn coffee maker (restaurant quality, a bit pricey), which lasted them for 20 years. We got one as a gift this year and DH is absolutely in love with it. He used to mess around with the timer, forgetting half the time. Now he doesn't even bother because it only takes about 3 minutes to brew an entire pot. This might be a case where spending the extra money is worth it in the long run. We could have gone through 20 $30 pots in the time this one $120(?) pot will last us.
I buy my travel mugs at garage sales. Once I stumbled upon a box of brand new mugs advertising some business, priced at 2/$.25. I bought a bunch and we've been using them since. They also can be found cheaply at thrift stores.
Other than that, I wait for coffee to go on sale then buy as many as the store will allow. Luckily for me, DH will drink just about any kind. When Folgers or Maxwell House go on sale for $1.50/13 oz, I can usually combine it with a coupon and buy 3-6 cans. This will get us through to the next sale. With online retailers, like Gevalia, I have found free shipping deals combined with 10% off your order. I used this to order a variety gift pack, which is cheaper than ordering individual packages of coffee. This way, we can have a little bit of the fancier coffee too as a treat (but I don't let DH get too used to it!).