If you subscribe to a personal finance blog and you’re not a hardcore personal finance enthusiast, it’s okay!

Sure, some of us get intense sexual pleasure from debating the the pros and cons of traditional and Roth IRA (and why shouldn’t they? tax advantage accounts are so hot, just thinking about them requires a cold shower) — but just because some of us enjoy the nitty-gritty of personal finance, doesn’t mean you have to too.

Healthy personal finance has a few facade to it: the simple core values that can be explained in a few sentences; the complex concepts that may take pages to fill and reads like a different language; and everything else in between the two extremes.

Yes, having a full understanding of your employee benefit program would be awesome. Yes, being able to differentiate all the available retirement accounts and knowing specifically which to utilize based on life situation would be great. Yes, knowing your estate planning laws will land you marriage proposal from a certain personal finance blogger; however, being a personal finance encylopedia isn’t a requirement for you to achieve a healthy financial life.

Budget. Save. Spend sensibly. Save some more. Understanding these core values will get you going. Mastering them will put you ahead of the game.