Yes. I have been using the Windows Firewall Control (bought a license around v4.x)(before it was sold off and became free - and worse at v5) and have been using it in all my Win machines.

I play hard ball, use "allow" approach (block everything except Outlook, FF, and a few more apps). I have also used plenty of Win10 privacy tools and have cut all paths to MS. I use "WuMgr" and/or "WAU Manager" for some very few security updates.

And also regarding the Store, I have uninstalled all (if memory serves well) the "default/stock" modern/Win10 apps (I am using an older version of Calculator, the XP version of MS Paint, and so on). I've used SysInternals and killed all auto-tasks, most services, etc.

I like me OS the way Steve Gibson describes it. Boot it and that's it.