Ice Cream Rewards

We have tried chore charts, sticker charts, reward charts. If it's a chart recommended for encouraging children to be responsible, we've tried it!
They always start out great! The kids will be excited and on task and reach their goals. But inevitably, after a few weeks, the excitement always dies out. So we started giving the kids an allowance a while back, still based on completing certain responsiblities.
Since the weather has been nicer and the ice cream truck comes around every day, all their money was getting shelled out on ice cream from the ice cream truck! I found it to be quite frustrating. Yes, they can choose to spend their money however they choose, and treats from the ice cream truck are always fun, but this was just too much.
We needed a new system. After some thought we came up with one that not only seemed genius, but also so simple that it made me wonder why in the world we hadn't thought of it before.
We picked up a variety of boxes of ice cream bars from the local grocery store and offered them up for $0.50 a piece. Now when they earn money and do their chores, they can still buy ice cream treats. $0.50 goes in the money box, they get their reward, and they are learning the value of a dollar! Even my 3 year old is starting to add up his money accurately!