diff --git a/.env-template b/.env-template
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f00c616
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env-template
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+OSM_ATM_MATCHER_CACHE_FOLDER=/media/mateusz/OSM_cache/ATP_matcher_cache
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 39c92be..4d76103 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -8,3 +8,6 @@
 nominatim_cache
 url_check_cache
 distance_distribution_charts
+
+# there will be env file template
+.env
diff --git a/0_config.py b/0_config.py
index ed3adf9..20e1060 100644
--- a/0_config.py
+++ b/0_config.py
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import datetime
 import osm_bot_abstraction_layer.tag_knowledge as tag_knowledge
+import dotenv
+import os
 
+dotenv.load_dotenv() # make environment variables specified in .env available
+                     # see https://github.com/theskumar/python-dotenv
 
 def is_nonlocal_phone_worth_mentioning(atp_code):
     if datetime.datetime.now() < datetime.datetime(2024, 8, 27):
@@ -95,7 +99,7 @@ def consider_reporting_broken_spider(atp_code):
     return
 
 def cache_folder():
-    return "/media/mateusz/OSM_cache/ATP_matcher_cache/"
+    return os.getenv("OSM_ATM_MATCHER_CACHE_FOLDER") + "/"
 
 
 def atp_cache_folder():
diff --git a/README.MD b/README.MD
index ab952b1..bd13c7a 100644
--- a/README.MD
+++ b/README.MD
@@ -36,6 +36,12 @@ pip install --requirement requirements-dev.txt # install dependencies
 pre-commit install # install pre-commit checks, see https://pre-commit.com/
 ```
 
+and then customize config files - you need at least to specify where cache will be
+```
+cp .env-template .env # copy config file template for customization
+codium .env # open with whatever text editor you are using, you do not need this specific one
+```
+
 ## Run tests
 
 Tests are run by pre-commit before each commit.
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index d2214b4..f892c60 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -7,3 +7,4 @@ geopy
 diskcache
 phonenumbers
 plotly
+python-dotenv