Note -
#6 - the Snap menu is actually SHIFT-S, not s (size)

#2 - transforms: you can also press X/Y or Z a second time and it will lock to the LOCAL axis. In other words, if you have rotated your object 31 degrees, you press "g" then "x x", the object will be moved along the rotated X axis at 31 degrees to the world or global axis.
Also, you can press the middle button AFTER you've started the transform operation as well, while you're moving the mouse along the desired access. Blender guesses which axis you're trying to constrain, which is usually ok, especially if you are close to orthographic view.