I want to emphasize that you can make food fairly quickly with the microwave with little to no effort. Not saying it’s not going to be mentally difficult to do.
Cooked rice is small packets that microwaves stay for months. So does teriyaki chicken in small packets. This meal is what I started out with and then started graduating to more advanced meals. Even advanced meals are microwaveable.
Making bulk mac and cheese from scratch using shredded cheese and salt in macaroni literally takes 15 minutes and you can microwave after being frozen.
I involved my kids in making meals. It’s part of our family building activity.
Being broke sucks. I know. I was also there. But Chinese food is sooooo freaking easy to make and freeze.
At one point I had 2 microwaves, with the 2nd one being donated from a friend.
DM me for these recipes. Mac and cheese can be made within 15 minutes. Teriyaki chicken could be made within 20 minutes if you skip the chicken marinating. Each time I make a meal that meal can last for a week with two mouths to feed. Eventually there freezer would have up to 5 to 6 different meals at a time that we cycle through