shelf life of vacuum sealed buds

It depends what you consider to be the end of shelf life.

I'm not real experienced and not a connoisseur. Not sure what I'd be expecting.

buds properly stored in mason jars can last years before they start tasting like crap.
if you are using the sealer bag method, id put it in a fridge, bottom drawer compartments. this will keep moisture in the buds. I found that if you just keep your nugs in the bag on the shelf or somewhere they dry out quicktimes

So, mason jars, use the vacuum sealer to suck the air out of them, and put them in the fridge?

You shouldn't freeze them. Doing so will cause permanent changes inside the buds. Refrigeration can lengthen shelf life if they are in sealed containers. Sealed and refrigerated, buds should stay fresh at least six months. "Fresh" here means just as good as new. After that, there's going to be some noticeable differences, at least in flavor. After a year, the wonderful stuff you had is no longer wonderful. It may still be killer weed but will have at least some "old" taste to it and you'll be able to notice at least a slight decrease in potency. The high itself won't be quite as enjoyable, either, having a slight "oldness" to it. I don't think we've ever kept stuff much longer than a year. Not because of decreased quality, just because it got smoked before getting any older.

Vacuum sealing is only helpful when the container holds the vacuum a long time. If a container needs a different lid to connect to the vacuum sealer and that lid doesn't hold the vacuum longer than, say, a month or so, then the buds would be better off in a non-V.S. container with an airtight lid.

When storing, keep in mind that plastics often allow a tiny amount of air exchange. Glass and metal usually do not.

I would be vacuum sealing the mason jars with mason jar lids

Then as long as the middle of the lid is sucked in after sealing and no heat is involved in the sealing process, you should have a good storage setup.

Thanks +rep