Living Large on Sales Tax Savings

Question: Hey, Californian, you’re getting $31 a year in savings through a quarter-cent state sales tax reduction. What are you going to do?

Answer: I’m going to Disneyland. No, wait, that costs $41 for adults.

Okay, Disneyland is out. But what else can Californians do with the savings--which averages out to about 8.5 cents a day per person--announced Wednesday by Gov. Gray Davis?

Here’s our two cents’ worth of ideas:

* Buy 1 1/2 shares of AT&T.; No, wait, two shares. No, wait, three shares.

* Two loge box seats at a Dodgers game ($26) to watch Kevin Brown get paid roughly $4,000 per pitch.

* Skip the ballgame and go directly online for three pairs of Dodgers Branded Hook Earrings ($10) featuring a pewter logo and blue bead on a sterling silver post.

* A Limited Edition commemorative porcelain portrait plate of Princess Diana from the Franklin Mint ($29.95).

* Make a purchase every 12 days at the 99 Cents Only Stores. (While waiting for the grand opening of a 9 Cents Only Store).

* One pair of cashmere socks (color: loden) from Banana Republic ($24.50).

* Make a local call at a pay phone every five days!

* Or, every 47 days you could buy a Triple Grande cup of coffee at the same Starbucks (about $4) where 13 workers won $87 million in the state lottery this week.

* Buy the CDs “Who Let the Dogs Out” by the Baha Men ($12.58) and “Black and Blue” by the Backstreet Boys ($13.28) on Amazon.com and have $5.14 left to put toward Britney Spears’ next recording.

* Two VHS copies of “Tony Robbins: Secret of His Success” ($13.99 each).

* One Upper Level Concourse Ticket at Staples Center to watch Shaq get paid more than $5,000 per minute as the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Los Angeles Clippers Nov. 5.

* Victorian “crazy quilts,” standard sham from Pottery Barn ($29).

* Spend one glorious night at the Motel 6 in Buttonwillow ($29.99). Blow the rest at the vending machine!

* Capture the magic of Barry Manilow in a paperweight! An old concert ticket is cleverly encased within a paperweight. At $34.99, it does exceed the annual tax savings, but Barry’s worth it!

* Buy 31 Lotto tickets for a chance at some real dough. (See Starbucks above).