Seriously though, there's just the wife and I in our house and we both work full time. She works straight day shift Mon-Fri, but my hours vary between days, evenings, and nights PLUS I have my own business on the side and occasionally teach classes. Thus, meal variety, convenience, etc are important.
Some suggestions for variety, value, ease to prepare, etc:
1. Betty Crocker "Complete Meals" box suppers. Similar brand box suppers as well; just got some new-released Kraft "Bistro Deluxe" styles last week - excellent, and intro price of 3 boxes for $5.
2. Homemade pizza - Pillsbury crust (comes in a refrigerated tube), your favorite pizza sauce (I'm down to my last DelGrosso jar brought back from our October trip to Tyrone, but Ragu "PizzaQuick" traditional or home-style is excellent), and your favorite Italian cheese blend.
3. Occasionally, homemade fajitas from those frozen complete bag meals.
4. Get a bag of good-brand italian meatballs, put in a slow cooker, pour in your favorite sauce, let simmer overnight (or through the day). Make meatball sandwiches, add to pasta, etc; can make several meals with this over a few days.
5. Fresh or frozen chicken, pork, etc cutlets - shake 'n bake - have a Pasta Roni or Rice A Roni side dish, etc. Sooo much variety available in this combo.
6. Manwich - need I say more?
7. Get some good brats, flavored sausages, etc. Cook/fry, have as sandwiches with fav toppings, or eat alone. Side dish as above.
8. Soup and sandwiches. Can have crackers with the soup, sandwiches as toasted cheese, lunch meat, etc.
9. A good salad, whatever type each person prefers. Maybe soup/sandwiches, as above, with the salad.
10. Frozen dinners - "family-size" or individual serving. Some really good ones, and quite a variety, in the freezer sections of grocers. Those Boston Market ones seem especially good, and are often on sale or at good price anyway (at least in our area). :fogey: