diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d7b6101..447fcb6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -267,6 +267,7 @@ All `toml` files will be scraped and found snippets will be added.
 
 Example1: single directory
 
+```toml
 [GHEGist]
   base_url = ""                   # GHE base URL
   upload_url = ""                 # GHE upload URL (often the same as the base URL)
@@ -275,6 +276,7 @@ Example1: single directory
   gist_id = ""                    # Gist ID
   public = false                  # public or priate
   auto_sync = false               # sync automatically when editing snippets
+```
 
 ```
 $ pet configure
diff --git a/cmd/edit.go b/cmd/edit.go
index dc66edb..6fdcfe1 100644
--- a/cmd/edit.go
+++ b/cmd/edit.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func edit(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (err error) {
 	}
 
 	if snippetFile == "" {
-		return errors.New("No sippet file seleted")
+		return errors.New("No snippet file seleted")
 	}
 
 	// file content before editing
diff --git a/cmd/new.go b/cmd/new.go
index e9857a1..dc97151 100644
--- a/cmd/new.go
+++ b/cmd/new.go
@@ -166,11 +166,16 @@ func createAndEditSnippet(newSnippet snippet.SnippetInfo, snippets snippet.Snipp
 }
 
 func countSnippetLines() int {
-	// Count lines in snippet file
-	f, err := os.Open(config.Conf.General.SnippetFile)
+	filepath, err := config.ExpandPath(config.Conf.General.SnippetFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0
+	}
+
+	f, err := os.Open(filepath)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic("Error reading snippet file")
 	}
+
 	lineCount, err := CountLines(f)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic("Error counting lines in snippet file")
@@ -218,10 +223,10 @@ func _new(in io.ReadCloser, out io.Writer, args []string) (err error) {
 			}
 
 			return createAndEditSnippet(newSnippet, snippets, lineCount+3)
-
 		} else {
 			command, err = scan(color.HiYellowString("Command> "), out, in, false)
 		}
+
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -258,6 +263,7 @@ func _new(in io.ReadCloser, out io.Writer, args []string) (err error) {
 		Command:     command,
 		Tag:         tags,
 	}
+
 	snippets.Snippets = append(snippets.Snippets, newSnippet)
 	if err = snippets.Save(); err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/config/config.go b/config/config.go
index cba6a82..fae9d69 100644
--- a/config/config.go
+++ b/config/config.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
+	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/pelletier/go-toml"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -98,9 +99,12 @@ func (cfg *Config) Load(file string) error {
 			return err
 		}
 		var snippetdirs []string
-		cfg.General.SnippetFile = expandPath(cfg.General.SnippetFile)
 		for _, dir := range cfg.General.SnippetDirs {
-			snippetdirs = append(snippetdirs, expandPath(dir)) // note the = instead of :=
+			if !strings.HasSuffix(dir, "/") {
+				dir = dir + "/"
+			}
+
+			snippetdirs = append(snippetdirs, dir) // note the = instead of :=
 		}
 		cfg.General.SnippetDirs = snippetdirs
 		return nil
@@ -109,6 +113,7 @@ func (cfg *Config) Load(file string) error {
 	if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
 		return err
 	}
+
 	f, err := os.Create(file)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -118,10 +123,16 @@ func (cfg *Config) Load(file string) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return errors.Wrap(err, "Failed to get the default config directory")
 	}
+
 	cfg.General.SnippetFile = filepath.Join(dir, "snippet.toml")
-	_, err = os.Create(cfg.General.SnippetFile)
+	file_path, err := ExpandPath(cfg.General.SnippetFile)
 	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "Failed to create a config file")
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "SnippetFile path is invalid: %v")
+	}
+
+	_, err = os.Create(file_path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "Failed to create a snippet file")
 	}
 
 	cfg.General.Editor = os.Getenv("EDITOR")
@@ -132,6 +143,7 @@ func (cfg *Config) Load(file string) error {
 			cfg.General.Editor = "vim"
 		}
 	}
+
 	cfg.General.Column = 40
 	cfg.General.SelectCmd = "fzf --ansi --layout=reverse --border --height=90% --pointer=* --cycle --prompt=Snippets:"
 	cfg.General.Backend = "gist"
@@ -165,15 +177,25 @@ func GetDefaultConfigDir() (dir string, err error) {
 	return dir, nil
 }
 
-func expandPath(s string) string {
-	if len(s) >= 2 && s[0] == '~' && os.IsPathSeparator(s[1]) {
-		if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
-			s = filepath.Join(os.Getenv("USERPROFILE"), s[2:])
-		} else {
-			s = filepath.Join(os.Getenv("HOME"), s[2:])
+// Given a path to either a file or directory, returns its absolute path format.
+// ExpandPath resolves "~/" prefix in a given system path.
+// Raise error if path is an empty string as it
+func ExpandPath(path string) (string, error) {
+	if path == "" {
+		error := errors.New("path to file/directory is not set.")
+		return path, error
+	}
+
+	if strings.HasPrefix(path, "~/") {
+		homedir, err := os.UserHomeDir()
+		if err != nil {
+			return path, err
 		}
+
+		return filepath.Join(homedir, path[2:]), nil
 	}
-	return os.Expand(s, os.Getenv)
+
+	return path, nil
 }
 
 func isCommandAvailable(name string) bool {
diff --git a/snippet/snippet.go b/snippet/snippet.go
index 4ed5a84..31a3a6a 100644
--- a/snippet/snippet.go
+++ b/snippet/snippet.go
@@ -30,12 +30,10 @@ func (snippets *Snippets) Load(includeDirs bool) error {
 	// Create a list of snippet files to load snippets from
 	var snippetFiles []string
 
-	// Load snippets from the main snippet file
-	// Raise an error if the file is not found / not configured
-	snippetFile := config.Conf.General.SnippetFile
-	if snippetFile != "" {
+	snippetFile, err := config.ExpandPath(config.Conf.General.SnippetFile)
+	if err == nil {
 		if _, err := os.Stat(snippetFile); err == nil {
-			snippetFiles = append(snippetFiles, snippetFile)
+			snippetFiles = append(snippetFiles, config.Conf.General.SnippetFile)
 		} else if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to load snippet file. %v", err)
 		} else {
@@ -43,32 +41,42 @@ func (snippets *Snippets) Load(includeDirs bool) error {
 				`snippet file not found. %s
 Please run 'pet configure' and provide a correct file path, or remove this
 if you only want to provide snippetdirs instead`,
-				snippetFile,
+				config.Conf.General.SnippetFile,
 			)
 		}
 	}
 
-	// Optionally load snippets from snippet directories
 	if includeDirs {
-		for _, dir := range config.Conf.General.SnippetDirs {
+		for _, snippetDir := range config.Conf.General.SnippetDirs {
+			dir, err := config.ExpandPath(snippetDir)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("snippet directory not found. %s", snippetDir)
+			}
+
 			if _, err := os.Stat(dir); err != nil {
 				if os.IsNotExist(err) {
-					return fmt.Errorf("snippet directory not found. %s", dir)
+					return fmt.Errorf("snippet directory not found. %s", snippetDir)
 				}
-				return fmt.Errorf("failed to load snippet directory. %v", err)
+				snippetFiles = append(snippetFiles, getFiles(dir)...)
 			}
+
 			snippetFiles = append(snippetFiles, getFiles(dir)...)
 		}
 	}
 
 	// Read files and load snippets
 	for _, file := range snippetFiles {
-		tmp := Snippets{}
-		f, err := os.ReadFile(file)
+		file_path, err := config.ExpandPath(file)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to load snippet file. %v", err)
+		}
+
+		f, err := os.ReadFile(file_path)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to load snippet file. %v", err)
 		}
 
+		tmp := Snippets{}
 		err = toml.Unmarshal(f, &tmp)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse snippet file. %v", err)
@@ -98,7 +106,13 @@ func (snippets *Snippets) Save() error {
 			newSnippets.Snippets = append(newSnippets.Snippets, snippet)
 		}
 	}
-	f, err := os.Create(snippetFile)
+
+	file_path, err := config.ExpandPath(snippetFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to save snippet file. err: %s", err)
+	}
+
+	f, err := os.Create(file_path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to save snippet file. err: %s", err)
 	}
diff --git a/sync/sync.go b/sync/sync.go
index 6c28344..829b641 100644
--- a/sync/sync.go
+++ b/sync/sync.go
@@ -100,16 +100,16 @@ func upload(client Client) (err error) {
 // download downloads snippets from the remote repository
 // and saves them to the main snippet file - directories ignored
 func download(content string) error {
-	snippetFile := config.Conf.General.SnippetFile
-
 	var snippets snippet.Snippets
 	if err := snippets.Load(false); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+
 	body, err := snippets.ToString()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+
 	if content == body {
 		// no need to download
 		fmt.Println("Already up-to-date")
@@ -117,5 +117,11 @@ func download(content string) error {
 	}
 
 	fmt.Println("Download success")
-	return os.WriteFile(snippetFile, []byte(content), os.ModePerm)
+
+	file_path, err := config.ExpandPath(config.Conf.General.SnippetFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return os.WriteFile(file_path, []byte(content), os.ModePerm)
 }