diff --git a/src/utils/utils.ts b/src/utils/utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..15c9796
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+// format the date/time
+// if the date is today, show the time
+export const utilityFormatDate = (dateString: string): string => {
+  const date = new Date(dateString);
+  const today = new Date();
+
+  // save today date at midnight for comparison
+  const todayMidnight = new Date(today.getFullYear(), today.getMonth(), today.getDate());
+
+  // check if the date is today
+  if (
+    date >= todayMidnight &&
+    date < new Date(todayMidnight.getTime() + 86400000 /* milliseconds in a day sheeesh */)
+  ) {
+    // show time if today
+    return date.toLocaleTimeString([], { hour: "2-digit", minute: "2-digit" });
+  } else {
+    // "day month year" format
+    return date.toLocaleDateString(undefined, { day: "numeric", month: "long", year: "numeric" });
+  }
+};
+
+// format the file sizes
+export const utilityFormatSize = (bytes: number): string => {
+  if (bytes === 0) return "0 Bytes";
+
+  const k = 1024;
+  const sizes = ["Bytes", "KB", "MB", "GB"];
+  const i = Math.floor(Math.log(bytes) / Math.log(k));
+
+  // tf is pow
+  return parseFloat((bytes / Math.pow(k, i)).toFixed(2)) + " " + sizes[i];
+};
+
+// UNformat the file sizes
+export const utilityUnformatSize = (formattedSize: string): number => {
+  const sizes = ["Bytes", "KB", "MB", "GB"];
+  const [value, unit] = formattedSize.split(" ");
+  const index = sizes.indexOf(unit);
+  return parseFloat(value) * Math.pow(1024, index);
+};
+
+// extract filename and extension from a path
+// heeheeheehaw safe coding my boys 🤠
+// only consider things after the last period
+export const utilityExtractFilename = (filePath: string): { fileStem: string; fileExtension: string } | null => {
+  const lastSlashIndex = filePath.lastIndexOf("/");
+  const lastDotIndex = filePath.lastIndexOf(".");
+
+  // check if the last slash comes before the last dot
+  if (lastDotIndex !== -1 && lastSlashIndex > lastDotIndex) {
+    console.error("Invalid file path: the last slash comes before the last dot");
+    throw new Error("Invalid file path: the last slash comes before the last dot");
+  }
+
+  // check if the file path ends with a slash
+  if (lastSlashIndex === filePath.length - 1) {
+    console.error("Invalid file path: the file path ends with a slash");
+    throw new Error("Invalid file path: the file path ends with a slash");
+  }
+
+  let fileStem: string, fileExtension: string;
+
+  if (lastDotIndex === -1 || lastDotIndex < lastSlashIndex) {
+    // if there's no dot after the last slash, the whole name is the fileStem
+    fileStem = filePath.substring(lastSlashIndex + 1);
+    fileExtension = "";
+  } else {
+    fileStem = filePath.substring(lastSlashIndex + 1, lastDotIndex);
+    fileExtension = filePath.substring(lastDotIndex + 1).toLowerCase();
+  }
+
+  return { fileStem: fileStem, fileExtension: fileExtension };
+};