diff --git a/vim/.vimrc b/vim/.vimrc
index c1fe631..9d3725c 100644
--- a/vim/.vimrc
+++ b/vim/.vimrc
@@ -2,28 +2,39 @@
 call plug#begin('~/.vim/plugged')
 
 Plug 'sirver/ultisnips'
+" setting my private snippets in a consistent home directory
+let g:UltiSnipsSnippetDirectories = [$HOME . "/.vim/own-snippets"]
+let g:UltiSnipsExpandTrigger="<tab>"
+let g:UltiSnipsJumpForwardTrigger="<c-b>"
+let g:UltiSnipsJumpBackwardTrigger="<c-z>"
 
-Plug 'scrooloose/nerdtree', { 'on':  'NERDTreeToggle' }
+Plug 'scrooloose/nerdtree'
+
+Plug 'honza/vim-snippets'
 
 Plug '907th/vim-auto-save'
+let g:auto_save = 1
 
 Plug 'vim-airline/vim-airline'
-" air-line
 let g:airline_powerline_fonts = 1
 
 if !exists('g:airline_symbols')
-    let g:airline_symbols = {}
+   let g:airline_symbols = {}
 endif
 
-" enable auto-save on startup
-let g:auto_save = 1
-
 Plug 'lervag/vimtex'
 let g:tex_flavor='latex'
 let g:vimtex_view_method='zathura'
 let g:vimtex_quickfix_mode=0
 set conceallevel=1
 let g:tex_conceal='abdmg'
+let g:vimtex_compiler_latexmk = {
+    \ 'options': [
+    \   '-shell-escape',
+    \   '-verbose',
+    \   '-file-line-error',
+    \ ]
+\}
 
 Plug 'airblade/vim-gitgutter'
 
@@ -36,5 +47,48 @@ inoremap jk <Esc>
 " setting number lines in the gutter
 set number relativenumber
 
-" set tab to enter 4 spaces, instead
-set tabstop=8 softtabstop=0 expandtab shiftwidth=4 smarttab
+" set tab to enter spaces, instead
+set expandtab
+
+let template_list = [
+\    ["_minted-", ""],
+\    ["", ".synctex"],
+\]
+
+function VimtexAdditionalCleanup(template_list)
+    let file_name = expand("%:t:r")
+    let file_path = expand("%:p:h") . "/"
+    for template in a:template_list
+        let prefix = template[0]
+        let suffix = template[1]
+        let full_template_path = file_path . prefix . file_name . suffix
+        call delete(full_template_path, "rf")
+    endfor
+endfunction
+
+" initiate LaTeX file compilation at the start and auto clean up
+augroup vimtex_events
+    au!
+    " auto-clean
+    au User VimtexEventQuit     call vimtex#compiler#clean(1)
+    au User VimtexEventQuit     call VimtexAdditionalCleanup(template_list)
+    
+    " auto-compile
+    au User VimtexEventInitPost call vimtex#compiler#compile()
+augroup END
+
+" open nerd-tree at the start of each file opening
+autocmd vimenter * NERDTree
+
+" spell checker (for your local language, anyway)
+setlocal spell
+set spelllang=en_gb
+inoremap <C-l> <c-g>u<Esc>[s1z=`]a<c-g>u
+
+" changing style of words
+hi clear SpellBad
+hi SpellBad cterm=bold,underline ctermfg=red
+
+hi clear SpellLocal
+hi SpellLocal cterm=bold,underline ctermfg=cyan
+