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For 2 older folks:

Different big batch cooking once a week. For 2 people, that’s 3-5 meals portioned and in the freezer. One recipe per week equals frozen dinner for 3-5 days during the month you don’t want to cook. Spaghetti sauce, soup, stew, chili, beans. A few hours, most of it just paying attention and over a month, you have cooked 12-20 meals in 4 sessions.

Load up the smoker once a month=ribs, brisket, pulled pork for 14 meals or more.

Pizza from scratch with a prepared crust: 5 minutes prep/10 minutes bake. Quiche or a pastry braid with pre-made pastry/pie crust is 2 meals per one short amount of prep/cooking time, Ditto any sort of pot pie from leftovers with pre-made crust.

Roast chicken, pot roast, or a small turkey are little prep, the oven does the work, 3 meals per each and the poultry carcasses go into the freezer for the next batch of soup.

Any 2 cups of protein leftover, one cup raw rice, 2 cups liquid, 1/2 cup each assorted vegetables plus I bag steamable frozen peas=2 dinners and a couple of lunches. Freeze the extra and pull it out whenever. Vary the condiments/spices and it’s a whole different meal.

Steaks, burgers, chicken breast take little time or effort. Buy whole muscle, portion, freeze, eat at will.

Stir fry anything: prep 15 minutes protein and veg, actual stand and cook, another 15 minutes=2 meals. Fajitas: 15 minutes total. Sloppy joes=ditto.

Add a fresh salad: 5 minutes
steam a bag of frozen veg=6 minutes
bake frozen biscuits=wait 20 minutes

Once in a while I take the time to make gravy or mashed potatoes. They keep a week in the fridge unless finished off sooner. Both can be portioned and frozen.

There’s enough time between steps in actual cooking to get the clean up done before the meal is cooked. 2 plates, utensils and the single pan/pot left at the end take a few minutes to wash by hand.

It’s simple, affordable and rewarding and leaves lots of free time. You Tube has countless recipe ideas. Input whatever you have on hand and browse.

Shopping is maybe a 1 hour job. For me, the travel time round trip equals time in store. Know which store has what sales which day. Make a list, go in, stay on the outside aisles unless stocking up on canned goods or spices or something. For me, once every 6 weeks to the closest larger city to take advantage of quality or better prices. Keep a pantry, stock a freezer, rotate. Preppers do both.

We eat out maybe once a month. I work from home. DH is semi-retired. He does short order, grilling, smoking. I make a few quarts quick fermented half sour or refrigerator bread and butter pickles when the cukes are available. I roast, seed and skin peppers in season and freeze. I dry tomatoes in season. Make sauce and freeze it every couple of years because I grow lots every few years and the sauce lasts well in the freezer.

Not onerous, folks. I did more when I worked full time, did trade shows 12xyear, prepared full holiday meals and grew tomatoes and peppers.

Restaurant food is boring and, frankly, not that great. I’d rather pull out a prepared meal from the freezer than get presentable, drive somewhere, eat and then drive home. Wastes a lot less time.