And this is why I won't attempt to it, since I really don't know what I'm doing. I'd love to use Cyanogenmod but probably won't until I buy a new phone that I feel more comfortable flashing a ROM onto. Looks like I'll just live with crapware for now :)
I have a Sony Xperia Z2 now and I chose the root option instead of the (available) Cyanogenmod install for it since Sony, while being very open to rooting etc., chooses to remove some image enhancement functionality on flashed devices. The root has enabled me to remove a lot of the junk and also install the Xposed framework along with XPrivacy. The latter enables fine-grained control of permissions by app.
Sure it is a bit of work but it depends on how you value your private data. I realize ultimately it might be futile but I am planning to put in as much effort as makes sense to protect my data as best as I know how.