diff --git a/src/balancer/OceanPool.ts b/src/balancer/OceanPool.ts
index 3a806e40..9010244e 100644
--- a/src/balancer/OceanPool.ts
+++ b/src/balancer/OceanPool.ts
@@ -120,34 +120,31 @@ export class OceanPool extends Pool {
       const oceanWeight = 10 - parseFloat(dtWeight)
       this.dtAddress = dtAddress
       let txid
-      const dtAllowance = await this.allowance(dtAddress, account, address)
-      if (new Decimal(dtAllowance).lt(dtAmount)) {
-        observer.next(PoolCreateProgressStep.ApprovingDatatoken)
-        txid = await this.approve(
-          account,
-          dtAddress,
-          address,
-          this.web3.utils.toWei(String(dtAmount))
-        )
-        if (!txid) {
-          this.logger.error('ERROR: Failed to call approve DT token')
-          throw new Error('ERROR: Failed to call approve DT token')
-        }
+
+      observer.next(PoolCreateProgressStep.ApprovingDatatoken)
+      txid = await this.approve(
+        account,
+        dtAddress,
+        address,
+        this.web3.utils.toWei(String(dtAmount))
+      )
+      if (!txid) {
+        this.logger.error('ERROR: Failed to call approve DT token')
+        throw new Error('ERROR: Failed to call approve DT token')
       }
-      const oceanAllowance = await this.allowance(this.oceanAddress, account, address)
-      if (new Decimal(oceanAllowance).lt(oceanAmount)) {
-        observer.next(PoolCreateProgressStep.ApprovingOcean)
-        txid = await this.approve(
-          account,
-          this.oceanAddress,
-          address,
-          this.web3.utils.toWei(String(oceanAmount))
-        )
-        if (!txid) {
-          this.logger.error('ERROR: Failed to call approve OCEAN token')
-          throw new Error('ERROR: Failed to call approve OCEAN token')
-        }
+
+      observer.next(PoolCreateProgressStep.ApprovingOcean)
+      txid = await this.approve(
+        account,
+        this.oceanAddress,
+        address,
+        this.web3.utils.toWei(String(oceanAmount))
+      )
+      if (!txid) {
+        this.logger.error('ERROR: Failed to call approve OCEAN token')
+        throw new Error('ERROR: Failed to call approve OCEAN token')
       }
+
       observer.next(PoolCreateProgressStep.SetupPool)
       txid = await super.setup(
         account,
@@ -562,7 +559,7 @@ export class OceanPool extends Pool {
       this.logger.error('ERROR: Not enough Ocean Tokens')
       return null
     }
-    // TODO - check balances first
+
     const txid = await super.approve(
       account,
       this.oceanAddress,
@@ -570,9 +567,10 @@ export class OceanPool extends Pool {
       this.web3.utils.toWei(maxOceanAmount)
     )
     if (!txid) {
-      this.logger.error('ERROR: OCEAN approve failed')
-      return null
+      this.logger.error('ERROR: Failed to call approve OCEAN token')
+      throw new Error('ERROR: Failed to call approve OCEAN token')
     }
+
     const tx = await super.swapExactAmountOut(
       account,
       poolAddress,
@@ -598,7 +596,7 @@ export class OceanPool extends Pool {
     account: string,
     poolAddress: string,
     minimumdtAmountWanted: string,
-    OceanAmount: string,
+    oceanAmount: string,
     maxPrice?: string
   ): Promise<TransactionReceipt> {
     if (this.oceanAddress == null) {
@@ -615,26 +613,27 @@ export class OceanPool extends Pool {
       return null
     }
     const calcInGivenOut = await this.getOceanNeeded(poolAddress, minimumdtAmountWanted)
-    if (new Decimal(calcInGivenOut).greaterThan(OceanAmount)) {
+    if (new Decimal(calcInGivenOut).greaterThan(oceanAmount)) {
       this.logger.error('ERROR: Not enough Ocean Tokens')
       return null
     }
-    // TODO - check balances first
+
     const txid = await super.approve(
       account,
       this.oceanAddress,
       poolAddress,
-      this.web3.utils.toWei(OceanAmount)
+      this.web3.utils.toWei(oceanAmount)
     )
     if (!txid) {
-      this.logger.error('ERROR: OCEAN approve failed')
-      return null
+      this.logger.error('ERROR: Failed to call approve OCEAN token')
+      throw new Error('ERROR: Failed to call approve OCEAN token')
     }
+
     const tx = await super.swapExactAmountIn(
       account,
       poolAddress,
       this.oceanAddress,
-      OceanAmount,
+      oceanAmount,
       dtAddress,
       minimumdtAmountWanted,
       maxPrice
@@ -676,6 +675,7 @@ export class OceanPool extends Pool {
       this.logger.error('ERROR: Not enough datatokens')
       return null
     }
+
     const txid = await super.approve(
       account,
       dtAddress,
@@ -683,9 +683,10 @@ export class OceanPool extends Pool {
       this.web3.utils.toWei(dtAmount)
     )
     if (!txid) {
-      this.logger.error('ERROR: DT approve failed')
-      return null
+      this.logger.error('ERROR: Failed to call approve DT token')
+      throw new Error('ERROR: Failed to call approve DT token')
     }
+
     const tx = await super.swapExactAmountIn(
       account,
       poolAddress,
@@ -716,6 +717,7 @@ export class OceanPool extends Pool {
       this.logger.error('ERROR: Too much reserve to add')
       return null
     }
+
     const txid = await super.approve(
       account,
       dtAddress,
@@ -723,9 +725,10 @@ export class OceanPool extends Pool {
       this.web3.utils.toWei(amount)
     )
     if (!txid) {
-      this.logger.error('ERROR: DT approve failed')
-      return null
+      this.logger.error('ERROR: Failed to call approve DT token')
+      throw new Error('ERROR: Failed to call approve DT token')
     }
+
     const result = await super.joinswapExternAmountIn(
       account,
       poolAddress,
@@ -800,6 +803,7 @@ export class OceanPool extends Pool {
       this.logger.error('ERROR: Too much reserve to add')
       return null
     }
+
     const txid = await super.approve(
       account,
       this.oceanAddress,
@@ -807,9 +811,10 @@ export class OceanPool extends Pool {
       this.web3.utils.toWei(amount)
     )
     if (!txid) {
-      this.logger.error('ERROR: OCEAN approve failed')
-      return null
+      this.logger.error('ERROR: Failed to call approve OCEAN token')
+      throw new Error('ERROR: Failed to call approve OCEAN token')
     }
+
     const result = await super.joinswapExternAmountIn(
       account,
       poolAddress,
diff --git a/src/balancer/Pool.ts b/src/balancer/Pool.ts
index 83075c89..d878941d 100644
--- a/src/balancer/Pool.ts
+++ b/src/balancer/Pool.ts
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ export class Pool extends PoolFactory {
     spender: string,
     amount: string,
     force = false
-  ): Promise<TransactionReceipt> {
+  ): Promise<TransactionReceipt | string> {
     const minABI = [
       {
         constant: false,
@@ -173,9 +173,10 @@ export class Pool extends PoolFactory {
     })
     if (!force) {
       const currentAllowence = await this.allowance(tokenAddress, account, spender)
-      if (new Decimal(currentAllowence).greaterThanOrEqualTo(amount)) {
-        // we have enough
-        return null
+      if (
+        new Decimal(this.web3.utils.toWei(currentAllowence)).greaterThanOrEqualTo(amount)
+      ) {
+        return currentAllowence
       }
     }
     let result = null
diff --git a/test/unit/balancer/Balancer.test.ts b/test/unit/balancer/Balancer.test.ts
index 38ce7ad7..f2871a62 100644
--- a/test/unit/balancer/Balancer.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/balancer/Balancer.test.ts
@@ -216,6 +216,8 @@ describe('Balancer flow', () => {
     await Pool.buyDT(bob, greatPool, '1', '4')
     const bobDtBalance = await datatoken.balance(tokenAddress, bob)
     const bobOceanBalance = await datatoken.balance(oceanTokenAddress, bob)
+    if (consoleDebug) console.log('BOB DT Balance:' + bobDtBalance)
+    if (consoleDebug) console.log('BOB Ocean Balance:' + bobOceanBalance)
     assert(Number(bobDtBalance) > 0)
     assert(Number(bobOceanBalance) > 0)
   })
@@ -223,6 +225,8 @@ describe('Balancer flow', () => {
     await Pool.buyDTWithExactOcean(bob, greatPool, '0.1', '2')
     const bobDtBalance = await datatoken.balance(tokenAddress, bob)
     const bobOceanBalance = await datatoken.balance(oceanTokenAddress, bob)
+    if (consoleDebug) console.log('BOB DT Balance:' + bobDtBalance)
+    if (consoleDebug) console.log('BOB Ocean Balance:' + bobOceanBalance)
     assert(Number(bobDtBalance) > 0)
     assert(Number(bobOceanBalance) > 0)
   })
@@ -240,6 +244,8 @@ describe('Balancer flow', () => {
     await Pool.sellDT(bob, greatPool, '1', '0.1')
     const newbobDtBalance = await datatoken.balance(tokenAddress, bob)
     const newbobOceanBalance = await datatoken.balance(oceanTokenAddress, bob)
+    if (consoleDebug) console.log('BOB Dt Balance:' + newbobDtBalance)
+    if (consoleDebug) console.log('BOB ocean Balance:' + newbobOceanBalance)
     assert(Number(newbobDtBalance) < Number(bobDtBalance))
     assert(Number(newbobOceanBalance) > Number(bobOceanBalance))
   })