Gear Patrol | Spirit of Adventure, Passion for Gear

Ah, the ESC. The Economic Stimulus Check. Aptly named like the keyboard button, the ESC is our government’s meager attempt at boosting the economy to aid public opinion.

Some call it the best reason for a recession. Some call it a $600 Amazon gift card. Some call it an irresponsible act by out government.

The responsible side of us here at Gear Patrol prefer to look at it as a way to start saving or paying down debt. The irresponsible lot of us are looking for the first link that will let us pre-order the upcoming 3G iPhone. You can find out exactly when you’ll be receiving and how much your check will be on this IRS page. The following are our thoughts on how spend your ESC. Send us an e-mail if you feel we’re missing some good ideas.

Six ways to spend your Economic Stimulus Check:

1. Buy Season Tickets For Your Favorite Sports Team – Buying a set of season tickets or partial season tickets will undoubtedly bring you great joy whether your a college or professional sports fan. $600 won’t guarantee you fantastic seats, but it will get you to a lot of games and that’s entertainment value. Oh, and the cheerleaders – always be thankful for the cheerleaders.

2. Open An Interest Earning Savings Account – What, you don’t already have one? And no, not the 0.5% earning one your bank offers for overdraft protection. It’s time to pony over that cashed check and get one started. ING has some of the highest paying interest rates on the market (3% with no minimum). If you’re feeling bold then start a brokerage account and have a little fun with it. Remember, even through the crashes and recession the stock market has proven to be a better investment than a traditional savings account (with smart investments). | ING Direct Savings or Charles Schwab Brokerage Account

Ways 2-6 after the jump.

3. Stock Your Home Bar – You’re not much of a guy if you don’t have the essentials to make your favorite drink and just as importantly, the girl you invite in for a nightcap (even if you don’t know how to make a proper nightcap). If you don’t go crazy and follow this in-depth list, you should still have a few hundred in front of you when it’s all said and done. Use the money left over for a nice set of tumblers and a date. You know, because you do want that woman to make a nightcap for. Starting from the left: Stolichnaya, $18 | Makers Mark, $22 | Flor De Cana Extra 4-Year Rum, $15 | Sauza Hornitos Tequila, $30 | Tanqueray, $16 | Laird’s Applejack Brandy, $15 | Benadictine, $17 | Martini & Rossi Rosso, $7 | Angostura Bitters, $6 | Regan’s Orange Bitters, $3 | Cointreau, $30 | Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth, $8 | Lillet Blanc, $14 | Pernod, $21 | Campari, $22 | Gosling’s Black Seal, $17 | Martini & Rossi Bianco, $7 ($268 total).

4. Donate The Money or Adopt A Dog – Determine a proper organization and run them by your accountant to ensure all your donations fall onto the right lines so you get it all back in deductions. OR, look into adding a loyal companion to your life. I’m a personal fan of dogs so I looked into adopting a Rhodesian Ridgeback, a real man’s dog through Ridgeback Rescue, an adoption center specifically for that breed. This will not be economically sound in the long-run, but a loyal dog will make your life just that much better.

5. Ebay It – According to Max Keiser at the Huffington Post, if Americans chose not to cash the ESC check than the value of the dollars in their pockets would increase in purchase power by a factor greater than the face value of the stimulus check. Since that’s seriously unlikely to happen he also suggests saving the relic and eBay-ing it five or six years later as a relic of an idiotic economic move by the current administration. Intriguing.

6. Get A Suit That Makes People Say, “Damn” – More specifically, “Damn that looks good… you spent how much?.” Here are 7 of the 10 suits that GQ ranks as their 10 best suits for less than $500. You’d be surprised how much style you can get for so little. Not to mention you may have enough money to get yourself into a sharp pair of shoes. Starting from the left: Nautica Nailhead Wool Suit, $475 | Perry Ellis Pin-striped Wool Suit, $270 | Armani Exchange Pin-striped Cotton Suit, $370 | Tommy Hilfiger Worsted Wool Suit, $495 | Calvin Klein Pin-striped Wool Suit, $256 | Target Pin-striped Wool Suit, $125 | Express Three-Piece Wool Suit, $396