Wow, I wasn’t expecting such a great response – thanks everyone!

Appreciate all the recommendations and breakdowns. I’ll definitely look deeper into:
Zeus – I'm not running a full node yet, but now I’m tempted to dust off an old mini PC. 
Phoenix vs Blixt – great comparison, especially regarding fees and how they handle channels. Blixt seems like a nice balance between simplicity and control.
Electrum – still a strong classic. Haven’t used it in years, but sounds like it aged well.
Thanks also for the Aqua + Liquid tip – didn’t expect that angle, but I love discovering new stuff.

I’ll also check out the tutorials by DarthCoin. Looks like I’ve got some reading ahead of me.

Cheers again and if you have any personal pros/cons between Phoenix and Blixt from real-life use, I’d love to hear that too!