Hi Jay, and welcome to TFP. I've been in your shoes, as has almost everyone on this site. There is light at the end of the tunnel as long as you're' willing to see it, as well in trust in the 10's of thousands of new friends you have just discovered. You seem to have the right attitude to become a "TFP pool pro."
FWIW, our pool holds the same amount of water as yours. I have the TF-100 test kit and it's a cinch to use; even
I can do it! I buy all the chemicals I need to routinely run my pool from the grocery store (20 Mule Team Borax, Baking Soda), the hardware store (Muriatic Acid,) or Walmart pool section (Liquid Chlorine and CYA, aka stabilizer.) I'm probably forgetting something, but those are my normal go-to's for pool care. I have been on TFP since 2018, and the most I've spent on pool care so far is right around $100 per year, excluding electricity. It takes about 10-15 minutes to do my tests, at the most. Faster than you can get to the pool store and back, right?
Jump in with both feet! You'll never regret it. You have my permission to share this post with your wife, btw.
A while back, our friend Newdude wrote a great primer for pool testing for newbies. Perhaps he will post a link to it for your use. Extremely enlightening, plus hilariously funny! (He told me so himself.) Just kidding.
Best of luck to you and your family with your new pool. Have a great summer!