diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d5492fe..ec6dc0a 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ add_library(${TARGET_APP} STATIC
   model/commands/insertrowscommand.h model/commands/insertrowscommand.cpp
   model/commands/removerowscommand.h model/commands/removerowscommand.cpp
   model/commands/edititemcommand.h model/commands/edititemcommand.cpp
+  data/filehandler.h data/filehandler.cpp
 )
 
 include_directories(${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
diff --git a/data/filehandler.cpp b/data/filehandler.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..336b1a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/filehandler.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#include "filehandler.h"
+
+#include <QDebug>
+#include <QDir>
+#include <QJsonDocument>
+#include <QStandardPaths>
+
+bool FileHandler::saveToFile(const QJsonDocument& doc, const QString& fileName) {
+  qDebug() << "saving file...";
+  QString path = QStandardPaths::standardLocations(QStandardPaths::AppDataLocation).at(0);
+  qDebug() << path;
+
+  QDir dir;
+  if (!dir.exists(path)) {
+    dir.mkpath(path);
+  }
+  //  qDebug() << path + fileName;
+  const QString filePath = path + '/' + fileName;
+  QFile file(filePath);
+
+  if (!file.open(QIODevice::WriteOnly | QIODevice::Text)) {
+    qWarning() << "can't open file";
+    return false;
+  }
+  QTextStream out(&file);
+  out.setEncoding(QStringConverter::Utf8);
+  out << doc.toJson(QJsonDocument::Indented);
+  return true;
+}
+
+FileHandler::FileHandler() {}
diff --git a/data/filehandler.h b/data/filehandler.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e6b954d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/filehandler.h
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#ifndef FILEHANDLER_H
+#define FILEHANDLER_H
+
+class QJsonDocument;
+class QString;
+
+class FileHandler {
+ public:
+  static bool saveToFile(const QJsonDocument& doc, const QString& fileName);
+
+ private:
+  explicit FileHandler();
+};
+
+#endif  // FILEHANDLER_H
diff --git a/genericcore.cpp b/genericcore.cpp
index e1a68a7..2f79c04 100644
--- a/genericcore.cpp
+++ b/genericcore.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <QCoreApplication>
 #include <QDateTime>
 #include <QDebug>
+#include <QJsonDocument>
 #include <QProcess>
 #include <QSettings>
 #include <QString>
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@
 #include "../../ApplicationConfig.h"
 #include "CoreConfig.h"
 #include "constants.h"
+#include "data/filehandler.h"
 #include "model/tablemodel.h"
 
 #include <QtGui/QUndoStack>
@@ -88,6 +90,21 @@ QUndoStack* GenericCore::getModelUndoStack() const { return m_modelUndoStack; }
 
 std::shared_ptr<TableModel> GenericCore::getModel() const { return m_mainModel; }
 
+void GenericCore::saveItems() {
+  qDebug() << "saving items...";
+
+  const QJsonDocument doc   = m_mainModel->getAllItemsAsJsonDoc();
+  const bool successfulSave = FileHandler::saveToFile(doc, "items.json");
+  if (successfulSave) {
+    //    QStringList completedTaskStrings = m_model->completedTasks();
+    //    appendCompletedTasksToFile(completedTaskStrings, "completed.txt");
+    m_modelUndoStack->setClean();
+    emit displayStatusMessage(QString("Items saved."));
+  } else {
+    emit displayStatusMessage(QString("Error: Items couldn't be saved."));
+  }
+}
+
 void GenericCore::setupModels() {
   m_mainModel = make_shared<TableModel>(m_modelUndoStack, this);
   // TODO add QAbstractItemModelTester
diff --git a/genericcore.h b/genericcore.h
index 20ac805..4ea4dd4 100644
--- a/genericcore.h
+++ b/genericcore.h
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ class GenericCore : public QObject {
   QUndoStack* getModelUndoStack() const;
   std::shared_ptr<TableModel> getModel() const;
 
+  void saveItems();
+
  signals:
   void displayStatusMessage(QString message);
 
diff --git a/model/modelitem.cpp b/model/modelitem.cpp
index a168b7f..5df55b6 100644
--- a/model/modelitem.cpp
+++ b/model/modelitem.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 #include "modelitem.h"
 
+#include "tablemodel.h"
+
+#include <QJsonObject>
+#include <QJsonValue>
+
 ModelItem::ModelItem(const QHash<int, QVariant> values)
     : m_values(values) {}
 
@@ -38,3 +43,27 @@ bool ModelItem::setItemData(const QMap<int, QVariant>& changedValues) {
 
   return valueChanged;
 }
+
+QJsonObject ModelItem::toJsonObject() const {
+  QJsonObject itemObject;
+  //  itemObject.insert("uuid", m_uuid.toString());
+  //  itemObject.insert("entryDateUTC", m_entryDateUTC.toString(Qt::ISODate));
+  itemObject.insert(TableModel::ROLE_NAMES.value(TableModel::NameRole),
+                    data(TableModel::NameRole).toString());
+  itemObject.insert(TableModel::ROLE_NAMES.value(TableModel::DescriptionRole),
+                    data(TableModel::DescriptionRole).toString());
+  itemObject.insert(TableModel::ROLE_NAMES.value(TableModel::InfoRole),
+                    data(TableModel::InfoRole).toString());
+  itemObject.insert(TableModel::ROLE_NAMES.value(TableModel::AmountRole),
+                    data(TableModel::AmountRole).toInt());
+  itemObject.insert(TableModel::ROLE_NAMES.value(TableModel::FactorRole),
+                    data(TableModel::FactorRole).toReal());
+
+  //  if (m_modifiedDateUTC.isValid()) {
+  //    itemObject.insert("modifiedDateUTC", m_modifiedDateUTC.toString(Qt::ISODate));
+  //  }
+  //  if (m_endDateUTC.isValid()) {
+  //    itemObject.insert("endDateUTC", m_endDateUTC.toString(Qt::ISODate));
+  //  }
+  return itemObject;
+}
diff --git a/model/modelitem.h b/model/modelitem.h
index 6f9c366..2f3e037 100644
--- a/model/modelitem.h
+++ b/model/modelitem.h
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ class ModelItem {
   // TODO change return value to list of changed roles
   bool setItemData(const QMap<int, QVariant>& changedValues);
 
+  // QString toString() const;
+  QJsonObject toJsonObject() const;
+
  private:
   QHash<int, QVariant> m_values;
 };
diff --git a/model/tablemodel.cpp b/model/tablemodel.cpp
index 675309a..94a5ddd 100644
--- a/model/tablemodel.cpp
+++ b/model/tablemodel.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@
 #include "commands/removerowscommand.h"
 #include "modelitem.h"
 
+#include <QJsonArray>
+#include <QJsonDocument>
+#include <QJsonObject>
+
 QHash<int, QByteArray> TableModel::ROLE_NAMES = {{NameRole, "Name"},
                                                  {DescriptionRole, "Description"},
                                                  {InfoRole, "Info"},
@@ -241,3 +245,18 @@ bool TableModel::isEmptyValueEqualToZero(const int role) const {
   }
   return false;
 }
+
+QJsonDocument TableModel::getAllItemsAsJsonDoc() const {
+  QJsonDocument doc = QJsonDocument();
+  QJsonObject rootObject;
+  QJsonArray array;
+
+  foreach (shared_ptr<ModelItem> item, m_items) {
+    QJsonObject itemObject = item->toJsonObject();
+    array.append(itemObject);
+  }
+  rootObject.insert("items", array);
+
+  doc.setObject(rootObject);
+  return doc;
+}
diff --git a/model/tablemodel.h b/model/tablemodel.h
index dd54f3a..539378d 100644
--- a/model/tablemodel.h
+++ b/model/tablemodel.h
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ class TableModel : public QAbstractTableModel {
   bool setData(const QModelIndex& index, const QVariant& value, int role) override;
   bool setItemData(const QModelIndex& index, const QMap<int, QVariant>& roles) override;
 
+  QJsonDocument getAllItemsAsJsonDoc() const;
+
  public slots:
   // bool insertRows(int position, int rows, const QModelIndex& parentIndex = QModelIndex())
   // override;