Using saves states pretty much sums up your issue. Sometimes they're very good and very reliable. But when they screw up, they screw up in a big way. The only thing I can think of is to try to increase the stability of Dolphin by disabling Dual Core and enabling Sync GPU Thread (right-click the game in Dolphin, go to Properties). Other than that, there isn't much you can do. When save states do become unstable, it's pretty random.
The only real solution is to just find the time to play these games properly (like on the weekend). It may be of interest to you to look into cheats. They'd make the game a little bit easier (and quicker to finish) but the game could still be enjoyable if you select them wisely to maintain some difficulty (i.e. give yourself infinite ammo but not unlimited health).
The only real solution is to just find the time to play these games properly (like on the weekend). It may be of interest to you to look into cheats. They'd make the game a little bit easier (and quicker to finish) but the game could still be enjoyable if you select them wisely to maintain some difficulty (i.e. give yourself infinite ammo but not unlimited health).