Your somewhat vague remarks about pool chemical levels just confirm: you need to get a K2006 testkit.

One other observation -- from years of operating large commercial pools via 16 - 22 year old staff -- the person running the test kit needs to be the SAME person as the person dumping chemicals. If your wife is testing, then she needs to be dosing, too. If you're dosing, you need to be doing the testing. The results are MUCH better that way.

In your case, there are three important values: #1, chlorine; #2, CYA; #3, pH .

That's pretty much it!

Unless you are ADDING calcium (via cal hypo) or have VERY hard water (well water from a limestone well), you shouldn't have to worry about calcium. And, if you manage the pH, the alkalinity will take care of itself.

If you are having to add stabilizer, it might be better to simply go to Sams and get a 50# bucket of dichlor ('PoolBrand' chlorinating granules) and go to Walmart, and get 20 boxes of borax. Those two items -- ALL BY THEMSELVES -- should run about $170, and take care of you for most of the season! There's a bit more to it than that, but that's still a realistic goal.

In order to give you a more exact prescription, I need test results from the K2006 and to know what sort of filter you have, and how often you have to clean it.