How long should a manicure last?

I love the look of manicured nails (mine look best short and squared off, in a light/nude shade--but I like brighter hues and longer lengths, too). But I can't stand paying $10-25 for a manicure knowing that two days later, my polish will be chipped and flaking. For a while, I was opting for no polish, which meant that my nails looked great for a solid week ... but I was always disappointed after leaving the salon, because plain buffed nails lack the wow factor of a regular manicure.

Then I read that having just one coat of color applied makes polish last longer. At my last visit to the salon, I asked the salon tech to stick to a base coat, a single coat of color and a top coat. Eureka! I didn't get a single chip or ding for five whole days. I think I'll be sticking to a single coat of color from here on out. (Disclosure: I suspect this only works with light shades; darker colors usually take two coats to look "even").

Any other tips on making a manicure last longer??