That's what life does: get in the way.
I know all about that. If it weren't for my good- hearted girlfriend, there wouldn't have been a garden at all this year.
Maybe you could start with small plans; this way, life might get in the way, but you can still find a little time to accomplish those ;0)
Yes making the plans simple might have been smarter, but it's not to easy as there isn't a good spot to do it. So I need to build a flower bed and fence it as the rabbits are really bad around here.
I am seriously debating doing an indoor grow room for veggies as our growing season is short. This would allow me to control what we are eating a lot better.
Indoor growing is a good idea when the growing season is short. But it is probably a bit more expensive...
Cost is an issue for sure, but at the very least I need to set up to start seedlings as the Chicago weather just isn't very reliable early in the season so you never know when you will get to start growing. At which point I think it makes sense to use that equipment year round for some of the more expensive veggies to keep a steady supply.