diff --git a/app/models/fixed_budget.rb b/app/models/fixed_budget.rb
index 9a43013..272bcde 100644
--- a/app/models/fixed_budget.rb
+++ b/app/models/fixed_budget.rb
@@ -32,8 +32,10 @@ class FixedBudget < ActiveRecord::Base
     when percent_markup?
       percent = markup.gsub('%','').to_f
       return budget.to_f * (percent / 100)
-    when straight_markup?
+    when dollar_markup?
       markup.gsub('$','').gsub(',','').to_f
+    when straight_markup?
+      markup.to_f
     else
       0 # Invalid markup
     end
@@ -49,11 +51,15 @@ class FixedBudget < ActiveRecord::Base
   end
 
   def percent_markup?
-    markup && markup.match(/%/)
+    markup && markup.to_s.match(/%/)
+  end
+
+  def dollar_markup?
+    markup && markup.to_s.match(/[$,]+/)
   end
 
   def straight_markup?
-    markup && markup.match(/\$/)
+    markup && markup.to_s.match(/[\d.]/)
   end
 
   # Is this a blank budget item. Retainers will create blank ones when
diff --git a/test/unit/fixed_budget_test.rb b/test/unit/fixed_budget_test.rb
index 2ea7def..35cd60d 100644
--- a/test/unit/fixed_budget_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/fixed_budget_test.rb
@@ -27,7 +27,43 @@ class FixedBudgetTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
         @fixed_budget.markup = '$4,000.57'
         assert_equal 4000.57, @fixed_budget.markup_value
       end
+
+      should "work without the $ sign" do
+        @fixed_budget.markup = '4,000.57'
+        assert_equal 4000.57, @fixed_budget.markup_value
+      end
+      
+    end
+
+    context "with a straight amount of markup" do
+      should "equal the markup" do
+        @fixed_budget.markup = 4000.57
+        assert_equal 4000.57, @fixed_budget.markup_value
+      end
     end
     
   end
+
+  context "#budget=" do
+    setup do
+      @fixed_budget = FixedBudget.new
+    end
+    
+    should "allow a $ string" do
+      @fixed_budget.budget = '$1,000.00'
+      assert_equal 1000.00, @fixed_budget.budget
+    end
+    
+    should "allow a plain string" do
+      @fixed_budget.budget = '1,000.00'
+      assert_equal 1000.00, @fixed_budget.budget
+    end
+    
+    should "allow a numeric value" do
+      @fixed_budget.budget = 1000.00
+      assert_equal 1000.00, @fixed_budget.budget
+    end
+    
+  end
+  
 end