diff --git a/bolt.go b/bolt.go
index b4ef3fe..1080043 100644
--- a/bolt.go
+++ b/bolt.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
 
+	"code.jakeyoungdev.com/go/lite"
 	dg "github.com/bwmarrin/discordgo"
 )
 
@@ -22,19 +23,31 @@ const (
 		dg.IntentMessageContent |
 		dg.IntentsGuildMessages |
 		dg.IntentGuildMessageReactions
+
+	DEFAULT_DB_NAME = "boltdb"
+	DB_PATH         = "/var/lib/bolt"
 )
 
+type Data struct {
+	//user, which user saved this
+	//data, does this just go interface?
+	//date saved?
+	//expires?
+}
+
 // basic bot structure containing discordgo connection as well as the command map
 type bolt struct {
 	*dg.Session                    //holds discordgo internals
 	commands    map[string]Command //maps trigger phrase to command struct for fast lookup
 	indicator   string             //the indicator used to detect whether a message is a command
 	logLvl      LogLevel           //determines how much the bot logs
+	db          lite.Database
 }
 
 type Bolt interface {
 	Start() error
 	AddCommands(cmd ...Command)
+	Database(file string) error
 	//filtered methods
 	stop() error
 	messageHandler(s *dg.Session, msg *dg.MessageCreate)
@@ -97,8 +110,26 @@ func (b *bolt) Start() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (b *bolt) Database(file string) error {
+	if file == "" {
+		file = DEFAULT_DB_NAME
+	}
+
+	db, err := lite.New(lite.WithFile(file), lite.WithPath(DB_PATH))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	b.db = db
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // stops the bot
 func (b *bolt) stop() error {
+	if b.db != nil {
+		b.db.Close()
+	}
 	return b.Close()
 }
 
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 1d9a5fa..b1aa98e 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -2,10 +2,17 @@ module code.jakeyoungdev.com/jake/bolt
 
 go 1.24.0
 
-require github.com/bwmarrin/discordgo v0.29.0
+require (
+	code.jakeyoungdev.com/go/lite v0.3.0
+	github.com/bwmarrin/discordgo v0.29.0
+)
 
 require (
 	github.com/gorilla/websocket v1.4.2 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20210421170649-83a5a9bb288b // indirect
-	golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20201119102817-f84b799fce68 // indirect
+	github.com/jmoiron/sqlx v1.4.0 // indirect
+	github.com/ncruces/go-sqlite3 v0.26.1 // indirect
+	github.com/ncruces/julianday v1.0.0 // indirect
+	github.com/tetratelabs/wazero v1.9.0 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/crypto v0.39.0 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/sys v0.33.0 // indirect
 )
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 8e8eb37..391b371 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1,12 +1,34 @@
+code.jakeyoungdev.com/go/lite v0.3.0 h1:QJuinHNtb3h+f0Cht1UNzOmUTT7YyaFYCaYAmCHAxMg=
+code.jakeyoungdev.com/go/lite v0.3.0/go.mod h1:NadLydJU2G+RsyokYjA/+EnwyNoMujswVwfZ1SQx1+E=
+filippo.io/edwards25519 v1.1.0 h1:FNf4tywRC1HmFuKW5xopWpigGjJKiJSV0Cqo0cJWDaA=
+filippo.io/edwards25519 v1.1.0/go.mod h1:BxyFTGdWcka3PhytdK4V28tE5sGfRvvvRV7EaN4VDT4=
 github.com/bwmarrin/discordgo v0.29.0 h1:FmWeXFaKUwrcL3Cx65c20bTRW+vOb6k8AnaP+EgjDno=
 github.com/bwmarrin/discordgo v0.29.0/go.mod h1:NJZpH+1AfhIcyQsPeuBKsUtYrRnjkyu0kIVMCHkZtRY=
+github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql v1.8.1 h1:LedoTUt/eveggdHS9qUFC1EFSa8bU2+1pZjSRpvNJ1Y=
+github.com/go-sql-driver/mysql v1.8.1/go.mod h1:wEBSXgmK//2ZFJyE+qWnIsVGmvmEKlqwuVSjsCm7DZg=
 github.com/gorilla/websocket v1.4.2 h1:+/TMaTYc4QFitKJxsQ7Yye35DkWvkdLcvGKqM+x0Ufc=
 github.com/gorilla/websocket v1.4.2/go.mod h1:YR8l580nyteQvAITg2hZ9XVh4b55+EU/adAjf1fMHhE=
-golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20210421170649-83a5a9bb288b h1:7mWr3k41Qtv8XlltBkDkl8LoP3mpSgBW8BUoxtEdbXg=
+github.com/jmoiron/sqlx v1.4.0 h1:1PLqN7S1UYp5t4SrVVnt4nUVNemrDAtxlulVe+Qgm3o=
+github.com/jmoiron/sqlx v1.4.0/go.mod h1:ZrZ7UsYB/weZdl2Bxg6jCRO9c3YHl8r3ahlKmRT4JLY=
+github.com/lib/pq v1.10.9 h1:YXG7RB+JIjhP29X+OtkiDnYaXQwpS4JEWq7dtCCRUEw=
+github.com/lib/pq v1.10.9/go.mod h1:AlVN5x4E4T544tWzH6hKfbfQvm3HdbOxrmggDNAPY9o=
+github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3 v1.14.22 h1:2gZY6PC6kBnID23Tichd1K+Z0oS6nE/XwU+Vz/5o4kU=
+github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3 v1.14.22/go.mod h1:Uh1q+B4BYcTPb+yiD3kU8Ct7aC0hY9fxUwlHK0RXw+Y=
+github.com/ncruces/go-sqlite3 v0.26.1 h1:lBXmbmucH1Bsj57NUQR6T84UoMN7jnNImhF+ibEITJU=
+github.com/ncruces/go-sqlite3 v0.26.1/go.mod h1:XFTPtFIo1DmGCh+XVP8KGn9b/o2f+z0WZuT09x2N6eo=
+github.com/ncruces/julianday v1.0.0 h1:fH0OKwa7NWvniGQtxdJRxAgkBMolni2BjDHaWTxqt7M=
+github.com/ncruces/julianday v1.0.0/go.mod h1:Dusn2KvZrrovOMJuOt0TNXL6tB7U2E8kvza5fFc9G7g=
+github.com/tetratelabs/wazero v1.9.0 h1:IcZ56OuxrtaEz8UYNRHBrUa9bYeX9oVY93KspZZBf/I=
+github.com/tetratelabs/wazero v1.9.0/go.mod h1:TSbcXCfFP0L2FGkRPxHphadXPjo1T6W+CseNNY7EkjM=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20210421170649-83a5a9bb288b/go.mod h1:T9bdIzuCu7OtxOm1hfPfRQxPLYneinmdGuTeoZ9dtd4=
+golang.org/x/crypto v0.39.0 h1:SHs+kF4LP+f+p14esP5jAoDpHU8Gu/v9lFRK6IT5imM=
+golang.org/x/crypto v0.39.0/go.mod h1:L+Xg3Wf6HoL4Bn4238Z6ft6KfEpN0tJGo53AAPC632U=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20210226172049-e18ecbb05110/go.mod h1:m0MpNAwzfU5UDzcl9v0D8zg8gWTRqZa9RBIspLL5mdg=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20201119102817-f84b799fce68 h1:nxC68pudNYkKU6jWhgrqdreuFiOQWj1Fs7T3VrH4Pjw=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.0.0-20201119102817-f84b799fce68/go.mod h1:h1NjWce9XRLGQEsW7wpKNCjG9DtNlClVuFLEZdDNbEs=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.33.0 h1:q3i8TbbEz+JRD9ywIRlyRAQbM0qF7hu24q3teo2hbuw=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.33.0/go.mod h1:BJP2sWEmIv4KK5OTEluFJCKSidICx8ciO85XgH3Ak8k=
 golang.org/x/term v0.0.0-20201126162022-7de9c90e9dd1/go.mod h1:bj7SfCRtBDWHUb9snDiAeCFNEtKQo2Wmx5Cou7ajbmo=
 golang.org/x/text v0.3.3/go.mod h1:5Zoc/QRtKVWzQhOtBMvqHzDpF6irO9z98xDceosuGiQ=
+golang.org/x/text v0.26.0 h1:P42AVeLghgTYr4+xUnTRKDMqpar+PtX7KWuNQL21L8M=
+golang.org/x/text v0.26.0/go.mod h1:QK15LZJUUQVJxhz7wXgxSy/CJaTFjd0G+YLonydOVQA=
 golang.org/x/tools v0.0.0-20180917221912-90fa682c2a6e/go.mod h1:n7NCudcB/nEzxVGmLbDWY5pfWTLqBcC2KZ6jyYvM4mQ=