Talk about Coffee?

I cant afford the pod coffee, but usually go to the store and grind a couple of dollars worth of store beans at a time. Two questions:1) Are store beans typically fresh enough to make a good cup of coffee? (Large Grocery Store beans)2) Once ground, how long does the ground coffee stay fresh? Is it fresh within a week? I seem to like the taste ok, so I guess my question is a one of personal preference.