diff --git a/files.go b/files.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9acc304
--- /dev/null
+++ b/files.go
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+package owl
+
+import (
+	"os"
+
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
+)
+
+func saveToYaml(path string, data interface{}) error {
+	bytes, err := yaml.Marshal(data)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return os.WriteFile(path, bytes, 0644)
+}
+
+func loadFromYaml(path string, data interface{}) error {
+	bytes, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return yaml.Unmarshal(bytes, data)
+}
diff --git a/post.go b/post.go
index cfb8bfe..b3067e2 100644
--- a/post.go
+++ b/post.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/url"
-	"os"
 	"path"
 	"sort"
 	"sync"
@@ -235,16 +234,8 @@ func (post *Post) IncomingWebmentions() []WebmentionIn {
 		return []WebmentionIn{}
 	}
 
-	data, err := os.ReadFile(fileName)
-	if err != nil {
-		return []WebmentionIn{}
-	}
-
 	webmentions := []WebmentionIn{}
-	err = yaml.Unmarshal(data, &webmentions)
-	if err != nil {
-		return []WebmentionIn{}
-	}
+	loadFromYaml(fileName, &webmentions)
 
 	return webmentions
 }
@@ -256,16 +247,8 @@ func (post *Post) OutgoingWebmentions() []WebmentionOut {
 		return []WebmentionOut{}
 	}
 
-	data, err := os.ReadFile(fileName)
-	if err != nil {
-		return []WebmentionOut{}
-	}
-
 	webmentions := []WebmentionOut{}
-	err = yaml.Unmarshal(data, &webmentions)
-	if err != nil {
-		return []WebmentionOut{}
-	}
+	loadFromYaml(fileName, &webmentions)
 
 	return webmentions
 }
@@ -291,12 +274,7 @@ func (post *Post) PersistIncomingWebmention(webmention WebmentionIn) error {
 		wms = append(wms, webmention)
 	}
 
-	data, err := yaml.Marshal(wms)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	err = os.WriteFile(post.IncomingWebmentionsFile(), data, 0644)
+	err := saveToYaml(post.IncomingWebmentionsFile(), wms)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -325,12 +303,7 @@ func (post *Post) PersistOutgoingWebmention(webmention *WebmentionOut) error {
 		wms = append(wms, *webmention)
 	}
 
-	data, err := yaml.Marshal(wms)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	err = os.WriteFile(post.OutgoingWebmentionsFile(), data, 0644)
+	err := saveToYaml(post.OutgoingWebmentionsFile(), wms)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/repository.go b/repository.go
index b211568..65849d7 100644
--- a/repository.go
+++ b/repository.go
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path"
-
-	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
 )
 
 //go:embed embed/initial/base.html
@@ -42,8 +40,7 @@ func CreateRepository(name string, config RepoConfig) (Repository, error) {
 	if config.Domain == "" {
 		config.Domain = "http://localhost:8080"
 	}
-	config_data, _ := yaml.Marshal(config)
-	os.WriteFile(path.Join(newRepo.Dir(), "config.yml"), config_data, 0644)
+	saveToYaml(path.Join(newRepo.Dir(), "config.yml"), config)
 
 	// copy all files from static_files embed.FS to StaticDir
 	staticFiles, _ := embed_files.ReadDir("embed/initial/static")
@@ -145,12 +142,11 @@ func (repo *Repository) CreateUser(name string) (User, error) {
 	os.WriteFile(path.Join(user_dir, "meta", "VERSION"), []byte(VERSION), 0644)
 	os.WriteFile(path.Join(user_dir, "meta", "base.html"), []byte(base_template), 0644)
 
-	meta, _ := yaml.Marshal(UserConfig{
+	saveToYaml(new_user.ConfigFile(), UserConfig{
 		Title:       name,
 		SubTitle:    "",
 		HeaderColor: "#bdd6be",
 	})
-	os.WriteFile(new_user.ConfigFile(), meta, 0644)
 
 	return new_user, nil
 }
@@ -182,15 +178,8 @@ func (repo Repository) PostAliases() (map[string]*Post, error) {
 }
 
 func (repo Repository) Config() (RepoConfig, error) {
-	config_path := path.Join(repo.Dir(), "config.yml")
-	config_data, err := ioutil.ReadFile(config_path)
-	if err != nil {
-		return RepoConfig{}, err
-	}
-	var meta RepoConfig
-	err = yaml.Unmarshal(config_data, &meta)
-	if err != nil {
-		return RepoConfig{}, err
-	}
-	return meta, nil
+	meta := RepoConfig{}
+	err := loadFromYaml(path.Join(repo.Dir(), "config.yml"), &meta)
+	return meta, err
+
 }
diff --git a/user.go b/user.go
index a125832..3de6939 100644
--- a/user.go
+++ b/user.go
@@ -196,30 +196,13 @@ func (user User) Template() (string, error) {
 }
 
 func (user User) Config() (UserConfig, error) {
-	config_path := user.ConfigFile()
-	config_data, err := ioutil.ReadFile(config_path)
-	if err != nil {
-		return UserConfig{}, err
-	}
-	var meta UserConfig
-	err = yaml.Unmarshal(config_data, &meta)
-	if err != nil {
-		return UserConfig{}, err
-	}
-	return meta, nil
+	meta := UserConfig{}
+	err := loadFromYaml(user.ConfigFile(), &meta)
+	return meta, err
 }
 
 func (user User) SetConfig(new_config UserConfig) error {
-	config_path := user.ConfigFile()
-	config_data, err := yaml.Marshal(new_config)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	err = ioutil.WriteFile(config_path, config_data, 0644)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	return nil
+	return saveToYaml(user.ConfigFile(), new_config)
 }
 
 func (user User) PostAliases() (map[string]*Post, error) {