A few more suggestions I didn't notice in any of the replies was
1. Look at the cache name, sometimes there is a clue in the name
2. Don't be afraid to look at or decrypt the hints
3. Sometimes reviewing past logs may also help
So I'm not the only one
I bought GPS PDA yesterday (second hand) and I decided to start geocaching (tho' I've been interested more than a year), I just forgot some fundamental things before I left. Story went like this:
1. I charged the PDA for about 25%
2. It was already 7.30 pm
3. I put the cachemate and GPS Tuner into the PDA
4. I forgot to take pencil with me
5. When I arrived to the right location, I was totally out of clues, it was very dark, I tried to use the hint (didn't help me in that darkness)
6. I searched 20 minutes for that cache but I didn't find it
7. I decided to leave...
Next time I remember to go earlier, take everything I need with me, and so on... But it was nice place and I was just running so it wasn't a waste of time.
I'm going to buy eTrex Legend HCx this week if I have money, I just bought the PDA because I wanted to get rid of my old dvd boxsets and traded those for the PDA.