I flew a C172 for 30 minutes, and landed withough using the yoke at all (no elevator or aeileron) just to practice in the even of a control wire failure
One example of where flying using the trim doesn't work is say leveling off from a climb. You need to push the nose forward and hold it there until the speed increases, other wise you'll be trimming till the cows come home....Some POH's recommend "three twists of the nose up trim on final" to help in the flare, so now you're flying the final stages of an approach out of trim anyway, having to keep nose down pressure on the yoke. Still makes life easier. What you do sounds fine to me, whatever's easiest really...
EA