I've noticed that most people don't tend to use their inspirations much in City of Heroes. That's too bad, really, because those boosts, while temporary, are quite handy. I've developed a technique that I use with my inspirations that makes this much less of a problem.

It's simple, really, I just make sure that I leave one slot open at all times. Yeah, I'll keep a couple of the "good ones" in stock because when you need them, you really need them. If you fill up all your slots, though, the end effect is that you don't really use them at all... ever.

The real trick is getting used to thinking in terms of having one or two less inspiration slots than you actually do. That way, whenever that last slot fills up, I'll just use it right then (or give it to a teammate if I know they might want it).

Not much of a tip, but I find it keeps those bonuses hopping. Plus, if you pay attention, you can keep the big versions for actual emergencies while using the smaller ones.