Arborio rice is expensive, so, I understand if you want to sub it. What I did when I was testing the recipe was to find prepackaged risotto with flavorings already in it. Alessi's mushroom flavored risotto is cheaper than buying the actual risotto, so, you can try it that way. I washed it first in order to remove all the flavorings from it. You can also try any short-grain rice to make this risotto. It may not have the same texture as risotto, but, it will work when on a budget.