In the staff lunchroom the other day, I complimented a colleague of mine on her new hairdo. It was smooth and wavy. She told me she had had a procedure called a Brazilian Blowout. It involves a blow dryer and some serious chemicals. It means you only need to wash your hair twice a week. It cost my friend $300, including the cut.

$300.

As an enthusiastic discussion of hair care ensued, another friend of mine and I exchanged looks across the table, shaking our heads and smirking; both of us are the primary breadwinners in our families. I have been known to spend ridiculous amounts of money on haircuts, and I recently told my parents that I am really good at living beyond my means, but $300 on a hair process?

How would I rather spend $300? Practically or luxuriously? Easy.

An all day spa event: manicure, pedicure, massage, facial, the works.

15 new books. More if I go to the used bookstore.

24 pounds of See’s chocolate.

Three and a half months of organic, locally grown vegetables at my favorite farm.

A year and half of Internet. That means OS, Jon Stewart, and the rest of the world.

Nine new leotards for my gymnast daughter.

A month’s worth of groceries. A month.

Dinner out at a very nice local restaurant, wine included, with my fiancé and my daughter. Twice.

Nine girls’ nights out – that’s a year’s worth.

See The King’s Speech 29 times. I might. Really. I love Colin Firth that much.

A month’s worth of my kid’s gymnastics tuition.

Most of a roundtrip airfare to Portland, Oregon to see my friends.

7 tanks of gas. More or less. That’s 14 round trips to see my parents.

An entire new wardrobe at H&M.

Theater tickets in San Francisco for four.

Three months worth of PG&E.

Six months’ worth of running water.

A hunky yard guy. Every month for six months.

A ridiculous amount of quilting fabric (I’m practically orgasmic at that thought).

A new sofa at Ikea.

A wheelbarrow full of gardening tools and seeds, including the wheelbarrow.

A year’s worth of hay and lettuce for the rabbit.

A new pair of fancy Ferragamos, or eight pairs of shoes at Payless.

My daughter’s 11^th birthday party, including her gift, and a bottle of wine for the parental recovery afterwards.

Twenty bottles of my favorite port.

Two more pairs of my favorite well-worn boots.

It’s been quite fascinating to approach my day in this way. How many new tires could I buy? How many school lunches for hungry kids? How many chocolate cakes from the local bakery? How many hours of additional assistant time in my classroom?

How would you spend $300?