There are three things that can stress a relationship more than anything else, which are money, trust and time. Money becomes more important as the relationship progresses. Finances are actually known to be the number one factor when a relationship ends in divorce. Trust is also of great importance for obvious reasons. If you can't trust your significant other, who can you trust? Then there's time. When it comes to relationships, time is imperative, yet the importance of it is often overlooked.

If you're in a relationship and you love the other person, you're obviously going to want to spend a lot of time with them. If, by chance, they don't want to spend as much time with you, this is a huge red flag. To put it bluntly, there will be a good chance you're being used. It could be for sex, money, a false sense of companionship, to show you off to friends and family, etc. While it's a shame to be true, there are more of these cases than you might think.

There are many ways to tell if you're being used, which of course relates to time. For instance, it's certainly okay for your significant other to go out with friends once in a while, but if he or she is hitting the bar and club scene every Friday night while you're at home, you're relationship could be in serious danger. That said, if your other half is not that into you, this can be a good thing. If he is into you and just doesn't respect you, you should make an attempt to straighten him out before getting rid of him. It's difficult enough finding the right person. Wasting months or years on someone who can't reciprocate in a relationship will only make things more difficult.

If he (or she) doesn't hit the bar and club scene, but does have a hobby he enjoys, this is a completely separate issue. It's okay for someone to have a hobby they participate in once or twice per week. It can be a great outlet for them and some time away from each other can be a good thing. If it goes past two times per week, then you might have a problem. This often means the hobby has turned into more of an addiction. There is something that hobby offers that you can't. This issue is more workable, and with a little effort, can often be resolved. Never keep the one you love from doing what he enjoys. He will resent that. Just make sure it doesn't get out of hand.
The best case scenario is that you spend a good deal of time with each other each week, while each of you has one or two days where you're off doing your own thing for a few hours. This keeps the relationship healthy.

Remember this when it comes to spending time with a loved one: If we go broke, we can always find a way to make more money, but when we waste time, it's gone forever.