No time to cook? I don't buy that. It is easy to make excuses, but you could use the same brain to work out a plan on how to do things. It is doable.
One thing I have learned over the years, is that many poor people are simply choose to be poor. There is no way for them to be financially healthy. I used to have a low end townhouse. I have tried many times to educate my tenant how important it is to save and get out of the vicious cycle, in vain. I had end this misery by selling the house. I let the tenant go forgiving about $3000 in payment.