It's a pretty impossible amount of money for me. I've been living month to month for.... forever.

But I washed the pots again and tried polishing them with vinegar and then a teensy bit of lard.... it's a protective finish of sorts. It looks ok. My guess is if I do this after each use I can prevent any more damage. In my experience you can use and preserve even the rustiest and worst-abused cast iron safely this way, which I know is not the same as enamel, but I think protectively it will work on the same principle.