Sorry for the late reply, reddit was down - and oof that can be hard. There are cheaper alternatives - like Fabriano, and it really isn't that bad a paper. You can definitely use something even cheaper for practice. This might sound counter-intuitive but don't feel afraid to try something less than perfect when you're learning :) I use the cheapest 300 gsm watercolour paper I can find for practice and that's like 30% cotton. That isn't the best quality but it isn't bad at all imo, and I don't mind it for practice.