find it really hard to eat as much as I need to in order to bulk   If you were skinny already and exercise on top of that, it's hard to get the calories you need if you eat clean. Spread out your meals, 6 small ones is much better than a couple of big ones. It's also easier to drink your calories, so use shakes.  (focusing on my career first so that I'll have the money to afford a personal trainer and all the supplements I could ever want).  You need neither of these things.