diff --git a/edivorce/apps/core/templatetags/input_field.py b/edivorce/apps/core/templatetags/input_field.py
index 97a75017..6c87abf9 100644
--- a/edivorce/apps/core/templatetags/input_field.py
+++ b/edivorce/apps/core/templatetags/input_field.py
@@ -11,17 +11,6 @@ register = template.Library()
 
 @register.simple_tag(takes_context=True)
 def money_input_field(context, input_type='number', name='', value_src=None, value='', scale_factor=None, ignore_error=False, **kwargs):
-    """
-
-    :param context:
-    :param input_type:
-    :param name:
-    :param value_src:
-    :param value:
-    :param scale_factor:
-    :param kwargs:
-    :return:
-    """
     error = context.get(name + '_error', False)
     if error and not ignore_error:
         if 'class' in kwargs:
@@ -30,25 +19,20 @@ def money_input_field(context, input_type='number', name='', value_src=None, val
             kwargs['class'] = 'error'
     if value == '':
         if value_src is None:
-            value = context.get(name, 0.0)
+            value = context.get(name, '')
         else:
-            value = context.get(value_src, 0.0)
+            value = context.get(value_src, '')
 
-    value = value if value != '' else 0.0
-
-    if scale_factor:
-        value = float(value) * float(scale_factor)
-
-    step = '0.01'
-    if kwargs.get('step', None):
-        step = kwargs.get('step')
+    step = kwargs.get('step', '0.01')
+    if value:
+        if scale_factor:
+            value = float(value) * float(scale_factor)
 
     tag = format_html(
-            '<input type="{}" value="{}" step="{}" min="0"',
-            input_type,
-            "{:.2f}".format(float(value)),
-            step)
-
+        '<input type="{}" value="{}" step="{}" min="0" placeholder="0.00"',
+        input_type,
+        "{:.2f}".format(float(value)) if value else '',
+        step)
     if name != '':
         tag = format_html(
                 '{} name="{}"',
diff --git a/edivorce/apps/core/utils/conditional_logic.py b/edivorce/apps/core/utils/conditional_logic.py
index 2f61604e..19eeab38 100644
--- a/edivorce/apps/core/utils/conditional_logic.py
+++ b/edivorce/apps/core/utils/conditional_logic.py
@@ -123,9 +123,13 @@ def determine_missing_extraordinary_expenses(questions_dict):
 
     if questions_dict.get('special_extraordinary_expenses') == 'YES':
         for special_expense in special_expenses_keys:
-            value = questions_dict.get(special_expense)
-            if value and value != '0.00':
-                return False
+            value = questions_dict.get(special_expense, 0)
+            try:
+                as_num = float(value)
+                if as_num > 0:
+                    return False
+            except ValueError:
+                pass
         return True
     else:
         return False