diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6d81a22..efff525 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 *.swp
 *.zwc
+custom/
diff --git a/modules/custom/README.md b/modules/custom/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..36fd8bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/custom/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+Custom
+======
+
+Add any custom aliases/settings to the `init.zsh` file.
+
+Any functions should go in the `functions` folder, where the name of the file is the name of the function.
+
+For example, this function from your .zshrc:
+```
+foo() {
+  print 'bar'
+}
+```
+
+becomes a file named 'foo' in the functions folder containing:
+```
+print 'bar'
+```
diff --git a/modules/custom/functions/example_function b/modules/custom/functions/example_function
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..752e7df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/custom/functions/example_function
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# this is an example function
+# running 'example_function' in a zsh session will execute the code below
+
+print "executed example function: ${ZDOTDIR:-${HOME}}/modules/custom/functions/example_function!"
diff --git a/modules/custom/init.zsh b/modules/custom/init.zsh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7468ef8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/custom/init.zsh
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#
+# Custom aliases/settings
+#
+
+# any custom stuff should go here.
+# ensure that 'custom' exists in your zmodules array in .zshrc
+
+