As [MENTION=6788736]Flamestrike[/MENTION] mentioned, D&D mechanically is about resource management. If you have players that aren't interested in resource management, and as newbies not yet invested in 5e, perhaps the right solution is to look for another game system that better supports your table's play style. I love 5e, but it's not the only good fantasy RPG out there, and there are many that have minimal resource focus outside of the scope a scene.
I get that this is a public forum and that folks are free to speak their mind. I appreciate that you and others are trying to be helpful. However, as I said before I am not having a problem and I don't need help. My posts were not complaining, but rather explaining why I am running this campaign the way I am. But as I've said, my initial post was simply about the fact that I think it would be nice if there was an encounter calculator designed for short days, despite the shortcomings of such a tool. I eyeball it myself without much trouble, but I like having a tool like the encounter builder to sanity check myself.
5e is heavily resource management based, but that's not necessarily going to be the level at which a newbie engages with the game. A newbie often just wants to play a cool character, kill monsters, and find treasure. They don't care about managing resources intensively. That comes later, as the player begins working towards system mastery.
I assure you that my game is working as intended. We're all having considerable fun, and they are learning the game at their own pace.
I don't need to focus on resource management with them because they feel challenged even without it. I can throw a single encounter at them, and simply circumvent their front line with an enemy to stomp on the squishies in the back. And they'll react like they were a round away from a TPK despite the fact that I reduced their resources by maybe 25%, tops. Probably closer to 10%, realistically speaking. Yes, I'm running an easy game for them. I can always TPK them in the next campaign to teach them the harsh truths of the adventuring life.
Besides, it's not as though they don't track resources whatsoever. They try, and I do my best to help them when they forget. They're good at tracking HP. Only so-so with abilities. I frequently have to remind the warlock and wizard when they're out of slots. Less so the wizard, but I think that has more to do with the fact that they're getting higher in level so it's simply harder for him to run out. I know for a fact that some of them have short changed themselves on XP. I keep reasonably detailed notes, so I try to go back and figure it out when it happens, but in one case I just had to tell the guy to bump himself up to the next lowest player's XP total. He was cool with it though, so no real issue.
We're playing 5e simply because that's what they wanted to play. I'm not the kind of guy to tell a newbie that he has to play a fighter rather than the wizard he has his heart set on, simply because he's new, if you follow my meaning.
I might see if I can convince them to try The Dawnline for the next campaign, but that's more because I really want to try Dawnline. Maybe Monsterpunk, if it's released by then, because I'd love to try that game. Maybe a game or two of Shinobigami if they're willing. That's all a fair way off though, as I think the earliest this campaign will end is around the end of the year.