This is a little trick I've discovered since the 1/2 I'm playing is capped at 200 (as are many 2/5 games and some 5/10's).

What I do when I buy in is buy the 200 in the usual denominations but buy an extra 100 in $25 chips that I then put in my pocket since I can't have them in play. The idea is that if I get down more than 25, I can immediately reload out of my pocket.

For me, anyway, I don't mind playing with a full stack or even slightly less, but it's too much trouble to be calling for chips (moreover, I think you're really supposed to tip the chip-runner, although I'll have to admit that I don't and hence like to call for chips as infrequently as possible) when you still have 160 or so.

I also pay for food/drink/tip the cocktail waitress out of the chips in my pocket rather than out of my stack.