Sadly you'll have a hard time finding a decent espresso grinder at that price point. The common advice in this sub is to spend twice as much on your grinder than you do on your machine. It's really the grind that makes or breaks your shot.

I've been getting by on a LIDO-ET I bought years ago for pour over. It's good enough to get the job done, but I have to put up with channelling and an inconsistent shot. Plus it's rather annoying to precisely adjust the grind.

I bought my machine used, but I think yours should have come with a pressurized basket. These have a small pressure valve built into them that can help you pull a better shot if your grinder isn't capable of providing the consistency/fineness needed.

Is it possible your husband switched baskets in the past couple days? That could be the reason for the shots suddenly changing speed.

I would highly recommend waiting/saving up for a new grinder than trying to spend <$100. You truly will not be able to find something worth your money for less than $100, and a pressurized basket should work well enough in the mean time.