Started making a big pot of something on Sunday and it genuinely changed how my week feels

I know this is not a groundbreaking idea and plenty of people here already do it, but I wanted to share because the difference has been bigger than I expected.

For most of the past two years I was buying lunch at work maybe 3 or 4 times a week. Not because I couldn't cook , I actually like cooking, but by the time Sunday evening came around I just didn't feel like doing anything that felt like effort. So Monday would come and I'd have nothing ready and by Wednesday I'd just give up and buy something near the office.

About six weeks ago I started making a large pot of something on Sunday afternoons. Nothing fancy, just whatever is cheap and makes a lot. First week it was a lentil soup with some leftover vegetables I needed to use. Second week a big batch of rice and beans with some spices. This past Sunday I did a chicken and barley thing that lasted me basically the whole week including dinners twice.

The actual cost per meal has been pretty low, somewhere around $1.50 to $2 depending on what I make. The bigger thing for me is that I stopped making the "I'm tired, I'll just buy something" decision four days a week. That decision was costing me more in energy than the money honestly. I also stopped buying as much random stuff midweek because I wasn't hungry when I walked past places after work. That part surprised me a little.

Nothing complicated, no special equipment, I use the same pot every time. Just wanted to post becuase I see a lot of advice about cutting things out and this one was more about adding one small thing in.