While 2FA can seem like a pain at first:
1. it's there to protect you, your account, and everything tied to it (which you admit you have a lot of)
2.Apple isn't the only company (slowly) moving to making 2FA a requirement.
3. You should be using it.
4. Once properly set up, it's actually not inconvenient at all.
Here's how it works.
1. You turn on 2FA.
2. You are required to re-authenticate on all of your devices
3. Once you re-authenticate a device (put in that code), you'll never have to do it again unless you change your password or sign out.
4. Any device that is authenticated can also authenticate (receive codes) to authenticate other new devices.
I know it sounds like a hassle, but honestly, even if multiple people are using the account, it's a one time deal. Once a device is authenticated it won't ask for a code again.
Why is this more secure?
Quite simply, it means someone needs not only your Apple ID password, but also physical access to one of your devices to access your account. Most people choose easy to guess (and or easy to brute-force hack) passwords. Furthermore, if you ever reuse passwords/email addresses across multiple services, if there is a data breach somewhere, there is a very real risk of your account being compromised.
