I also use restic for backups. I actually switched from Borg because it kept getting stuck and failing but couldn’t work out why. Not had issues with restic (so far, touch wood!).

I use resticprofile with yaml configurations though (https://github.com/creativeprojects/resticprofile), which made it much easier for me to figure out.

I use borgbase for offsite backups.

I use fairphone 5 with /e/os and echo these comments in the most part, although would go higher than OK to that it works well for me.

All my banking apps (UK based) work through aurora store, which might be luck. I have had difficulty with a few others I slightly miss (mainly Citymapper). I use Foss alternatives on f-droid as much as possible and for others I add a link to their website on my homepage, which mostly works the same but can have features missing (Citymapper has less options).

I did find google maps has better traffic than any other apps so sometimes I use GMaps WV from f-droid to check which route is best, then try to actually learn those routes or use another maps app for navigation.

They really push you to install the aio container so it’s not surprising to me.

If you’re comfortable in the terminal you’ll be fine just starting out and figuring it as you go. Be ready for a few reinstalls but it becomes part of the fun, albeit sometimes frustrating! Go for a mainstream server os like Ubuntu or Debian (as if you google them with any issue you’re likely to find at answer). Get SSH up and running with keys for security, install tailscale and don’t expose to the internet until you feel more comfortable. Install docker then start on one software you think will be useful, get it up and running then move onto the next. I would recommend homepage as a front end then keep it up to date with new software so you can quickly see what you have and what ports are in use. Vaultwarden is useful for the admin passwords. I use authentik for sso but would try caddy if I was starting now.

For personal stuff, i use an external email, and borgbase for backups (highly recommend them if using Borg or restic).