Combat, death and reloading

We've asked previously about your preferred "death" system in CRPGs and although a healthy percentage like modern twists, the overwhelming majority prefer a traditional "dead is dead" system. This came up again in a recent conversation about Dragon Age, so I thought I'd ask about your re-loading habits.

Do you faithfully accept the consequences and soldier on, reload only if a party member dies or, perhaps, do you even reload if the battle just didn't go as smoothly as you'd like? Maybe you used a potion or two too many, or pulled out that big, reserve spell. A reload with might get you through in tip-top nick without wasting resources…

Be honest, now!

The question relates primarily to combat but feel free to comment about other circumstances, such as trying out different dialogue options.