If ~/.path exists, it will be sourced along with the other files, before any feature testing (such as detecting which version of ls is being used) takes place.
Here’s an example ~/.path file that adds ~/utils to the $PATH:
export PATH="$HOME/utils:$PATH"ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.github.com/Homebrew/homebrew/go/install)"
When setting up a new Mac, you may want to install some common Homebrew formulae (after installing Homebrew, of course):
brew bundle ~/Brewfile
###Install native apps with brew cask
You could also install native apps with brew cask:
./.cask