I am the same way. I was raised to believe that any discussion of money, outside of close friends and family, was rude. I realize that there are many situations that this is not true, and paying for a tattoo is one of them, but it is hard to shake things that are ingrained in you. I think that it is a big part of Southern culture. Never talk about money, never ask someone who they are going to vote for, and never send food back in a restaurant, no matter how bad it is.