Oh my, 'fiddling with websites' used to be the bane of my existence. I coded my first one around 2000 but then Wordpress came along and I focused more on content than code. My sites still run Wordpress, I found a template that fits my needs and is very (!) adjustable. Plugins - they are the necessary evil to every Wordpress site, they make it or break it - LOL.
I hope you'll get your done without growing too many gray hairs 😇