Ubuntu – How to decide on the right Nvidia driver based on the Linux Kernel version

After trying to install the Nvidia drivers and got them working and then got them broken, I would like to check one important thing:

One of the main problems I run into was "Kernel version and Nvidia Driver version mismatch!". How to avoid this? How do I know that the newest NVidia driver out there is compatible with what I have already installed or have?

For example right now, I started with a fresh XUbuntu 13.04, Kernel: 3.8.0-21-generic. I know that there is a new NVidia driver for Linux: 319.17. So do I go with the "./*.run" file approach or do I set-up one of those external repositories, for example "xorg-edgers", what should be the correct approach?

Also, once I install them, how do I ensure that the NVidia drivers will not break with a Kernel update?

Thanks.