Do you track hours?

[Hogrider]

As the old joke goes, if you have to ask, you can't afford it.

Me and @Pugilist had a running competition for a while about who had the most hours under the needle. I've since lost track of how many hours I've been tattooed for, but the answer is "a lot of hours". I have no idea how much money I've spent on tattoos, nor do I care to know because I'm sure if you gave me the sum of money I've spent on them...without even talking about cost of travel and hotels, time off work, etc...I'd be stunned and perplexed how I even came up with that kind of money. People wanting to know hours so they can roughly calculate how much you've spent is weird anyway, because it isn't about money, and anybody who cares about the cost of tattoos, especially heavy coverage, is never going to get tattooed like that because it's not like getting tattooed like this is something that comes from a rational decision-making place. You don't sit down with a personal or household budget and see that you can fit a bodysuit in there. It comes from a more primal place, it's closer to a need than a want. That's where the tattoo magic is.

[introspect]

I'm going to go against the grain here and say I've got an exact record of how many hours of tattooing I've had and how much I've spent. I've kept it all recorded step-by-step in a tattoo progress blog. I've even got video footage of all my work so far! I think I'm a bit OCD about this sort of thing haha. It's not something I go around declaring to people in the street or anything but the info is online if I or anyone else ever wants to know.

[Pugilist]

Me and @Pugilist had a running competition for a while about who had the most hours under the needle. I've since lost track of how many hours I've been tattooed for, but the answer is "a lot of hours". I have no idea how much money I've spent on tattoos, nor do I care to know because I'm sure if you gave me the sum of money I've spent on them...without even talking about cost of travel and hotels, time off work, etc...I'd be stunned and perplexed how I even came up with that kind of money. People wanting to know hours so they can roughly calculate how much you've spent is weird anyway, because it isn't about money, and anybody who cares about the cost of tattoos, especially heavy coverage, is never going to get tattooed like that because it's not like getting tattooed like this is something that comes from a rational decision-making place. You don't sit down with a personal or household budget and see that you can fit a bodysuit in there. It comes from a more primal place, it's closer to a need than a want. That's where the tattoo magic is.

I think I stopped keeping track because you're winning. :(

[SeeSea]

"3 pints of lager & a packet of crisps please"

You've been drinking and munching a lot lately. And not cider I might add.

- - - Updated - - -

I think I stopped keeping track because you're winning. :(

You could rectify that, you know.

[beez]

It comes from a more primal place, it's closer to a need than a want. That's where the tattoo magic is.

There it is.

[peterpoose]

@peterpoose I don't think time has the same meaning to you, as it does most of us.

That's why you get tattooed for a billion hours at a time.

nah Im in a rush in case I die lol :)

[Mick Weder]

You've been drinking and munching a lot lately. And not cider I might add.

Happy days

[polliwog]

If I start on a sleeve within the next couple of years, I probably will have to budget for it in a pretty dedicated, week-by-week way, unless my line of work completely changes. If I don't have at least some savings put aside specifically for the purpose of getting tattooed, I feel too guilty to go ahead with it. Thanks for the neuroses, family.

[seattleite]

its easier to do with smaller tattoos :p