Someone mentioned in the previous thread that they forgot they even had bombs. I have to concur; this has also been the case with me.
I get so caught up in filling my Trance Meter and being like "Ah, look at that - nice and full Trance Meter. Now, to wait for just the right moment to use it", that I completely forget that by Stage 4 I have like, nearly 5 bombs.
I don't think the Spirits are very hard to get to, personally. The annoying thing about UFO is having to chase the little buggers in a zig-zag across the screen, through a mine field of danmaku. In 10D, they're just sitting there - getting gradually smaller, sure, but you know where you need to go to get them, and can plot a path through a pattern to get them.
And, echoing what others have said, lives are pretty hard to get, but this game feeds you bombs and Trance spirits. You just have to strike a balance between these two (I personally like Trance for certain zombie bishes who like to heal themselves while raining down thick walls of danmaku ...) and not be shy about picking up spirits.