This is exactly what I do. I hid everything from the menu bar and replaced them with custom (smaller) clock and battery percentage items, along with a few addit

This is exactly what I do. I hid everything from the menu bar and replaced them with custom (smaller) clock and battery percentage items, along with a few additional things I like to see. Bartender is a must have on MacOS in my opinion with, or without, a bitbar or similar.