The Best Things In Life Are Free, But Dating Someone Will Cost You

Love is a powerful emotion.

It has the ability to overwhelm us with desire, passion and drive.

When you're submerged in its grasp, you know it. It's almost palpable.

More often than not, we succumb to love because it is the essence of what makes us human.

Love is the fuel that makes our souls burn and propels the eagerness to live fully.

It is paramount, however, that we not lose sight of its side effects.

It's an emotion so intoxicating, if not handled properly, it may unconsciously cloud our judgment.

Love can pull a veil over everyday things that are just as essential to our well-being.

What if I told you there's a way you can maintain a healthy balance between yourself and the addition you'd like to make to your life?

A significant other does not mean your significance diminishes.

Consider the following words as a disclaimer, a fair warning of things you need to be aware of when pursuing, or even commencing, a relationship.

Time, as you all know, is by far the greatest commodity we have.

Its management dictates, with fair certainty, the amount of success we attain in our lives.

For this reason alone, we need to be applying the same train of thought to our romantic relationships.

Let's take your career, for example.

You know you must wake up at a certain time in order to do what you have to before arrival, as well as get to your destination on time.

That combination is the perfect illustration of time usage.

If we part from that premise and apply that logic to your romances, you would come to the conclusion that you'll need to allocate the same importance to the person trying to occupy said time.

When in a relationship, you need to make peace with the fact that you will be required to share your time without becoming negligent with it.

In other words, you cannot fall into the trap of the carelessness that affects most people when investing in a relationship.

Just because you've found someone you don't mind sharing time with does not mean you sacrifice living the life that makes you whole.

A person who values your time will evidently see what matters to you, and will not interfere with the happiness you have established for yourself.

Relationships are about sharing the time we have on Earth.

When someone is willing to share his or hers with you, treasure it. It means he or she is giving you something he or she is never getting back.

Now that you're more in tune with the importance of time, let's take a look at the energy required to lead a fulfilling relationship.

Let's be honest for a second: How many times have you silenced your alarm clock because you simply don't even have the energy to roll out of bed?

Unfortunately, that principle cannot be transferred to any romantic relationship because it will bring any progress you've made to a screeching halt.

The energy required for relationships is demanding, but should come easily at the same time if the craving to be with one another is genuine.

Examples of this behavior may include scheduling dates around your daily activities as well as constant communication such as phone calls, texts, etc.

Energy should flow naturally in your relationships if the source of its source is authentic.

Imbalances are the perfect way to determine whether or not your relationship is lacking energy.

Whenever you feel something is off, even by an eyelash, energy is being lost and can take a toll on your love life.

In order to maintain a high level of energy and prevent fluctuation, it is imperative to keep in mind your counterpart's wants and needs.

Doing so will result in constant engagement of your individualism; ask questions and remain curious.

We never stop growing as people. Inquiring about one another will lead to revitalizing the relationship on a consistent basis.

As crazy and unbelievable as it may sound, our finances have a tendency to change when we find ourselves in the quest for love.

From the night we meet to that first date and beyond, money does play a significant role in the dating scene.

Many of us are unaware that we may become oblivious to our cash exiting our pockets.

For the sake of argument, let's assume you've met someone who has grabbed your attention and will be the focal point of your immediate future.

I'm willing to bet you are set on a budget and most of your finances are accounted for personal use.

If a relationship is what you seek, you will need to be open to the likelihood of your wallet opening as well.

Dates, gifts and unforeseen expenditures will become the norm in a relationship, and none of those activities will be paying for themselves.

This isn't to say that you can't enjoy each other's company without emptying your purses.

But let's not kid ourselves here: We're Millennials.

We don't do picnics, and even Netflix and chilling costs money.

Relationships in general require a lot of work from both parties, but the rewards that come from a successful union far outweigh the demands.

Time, energy and money are just the tip of the iceberg, but represent a solid foundation modern-day relationships are based on.

A hesitancy to share your time, a scarcity of energy and a proper discussion of money will all have negative effects on a potential relationship.

If you're not willing and able to provide with the aforementioned necessities, think twice about taking that leap. That's how feelings get hurt.

From now on, allow time, energy and money to make up the essentials needed in order to engage with a future mate.

Yes, the love is free, but the upkeep is not.

The question is: Are you willing to pay the price?