diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ed0ac5f..75466c4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@
 - automatically save your changes so the world doesn't collapse
 - highly customizable:
   - conditionals to assert whether to save or not
-  - execution message (it can be dimmed and personalized)
   - events that trigger auto-save
 - debounce the save with a delay
 - hook into the lifecycle with autocommands
@@ -93,14 +92,6 @@ EOF
 ```lua
 {
   enabled = true, -- start auto-save when the plugin is loaded (i.e. when your package manager loads it)
-  execution_message = {
-    enabled = true,
-    message = function() -- message to print on save
-      return ("AutoSave: saved at " .. vim.fn.strftime("%H:%M:%S"))
-    end,
-    dim = 0.18, -- dim the color of `message`
-    cleaning_interval = 1250, -- (milliseconds) automatically clean MsgArea after displaying `message`. See :h MsgArea
-  },
   trigger_events = { -- See :h events
     immediate_save = { "BufLeave", "FocusLost" }, -- vim events that trigger an immediate save
     defer_save = { "InsertLeave", "TextChanged" }, -- vim events that trigger a deferred save (saves after `debounce_delay`)
@@ -212,18 +203,18 @@ The plugin fires events at various points during its lifecycle which users can h
 
 It will always supply the current buffer in the `data.saved_buffer`
 
-An example to always print the file name before a file is getting saved (use `:messages` if the execution message swallows the print):
+An example to print a message with the file name after a file got saved:
 
 ```lua
 local group = vim.api.nvim_create_augroup('autosave', {})
 
 vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd('User', {
-    pattern = 'AutoSaveWritePre',
+    pattern = 'AutoSaveWritePost',
     group = group,
     callback = function(opts)
         if opts.data.saved_buffer ~= nil then
             local filename = vim.api.nvim_buf_get_name(opts.data.saved_buffer)
-            print('We are about to save ' .. filename .. ' get ready captain!')
+            print('File ' .. filename .. ' got saved successfully!')
         end
     end,
 })
diff --git a/lua/auto-save/config.lua b/lua/auto-save/config.lua
index 01b711a..e2bed50 100644
--- a/lua/auto-save/config.lua
+++ b/lua/auto-save/config.lua
@@ -2,15 +2,6 @@
 Config = {
   opts = {
     enabled = true, -- start auto-save when the plugin is loaded (i.e. when your package manager loads it)
-    execution_message = {
-      enabled = true,
-      --- @type string|fun(): string
-      message = function() -- message to print on save
-        return ("AutoSave: saved at " .. vim.fn.strftime("%H:%M:%S"))
-      end,
-      dim = 0.18, -- dim the color of `message`
-      cleaning_interval = 1250, -- (milliseconds) automatically clean MsgArea after displaying `message`. See :h MsgArea
-    },
     trigger_events = { -- See :h events
       --- @type TriggerEvent[]?
       immediate_save = { "BufLeave", "FocusLost" }, -- vim events that trigger an immediate save
@@ -34,9 +25,24 @@ Config = {
   },
 }
 
-function Config:set_options(opts)
-  opts = opts or {}
-  self.opts = vim.tbl_deep_extend("keep", opts, self.opts)
+function Config:handle_deprecations(custom_opts)
+  if custom_opts["execution_message"] then
+    vim.notify(
+      "The `execution_message` has been removed from the auto-save.nvim plugin. Check the Readme on how to add it yourself.",
+      vim.log.levels.WARN
+    )
+    custom_opts["execution_message"] = nil
+  end
+
+  return custom_opts
+end
+
+function Config:set_options(custom_opts)
+  custom_opts = custom_opts or {}
+
+  custom_opts = self.handle_deprecations(custom_opts)
+
+  self.opts = vim.tbl_deep_extend("keep", custom_opts, self.opts)
 end
 
 function Config:get_options()
diff --git a/lua/auto-save/init.lua b/lua/auto-save/init.lua
index deab1b6..97c0b55 100644
--- a/lua/auto-save/init.lua
+++ b/lua/auto-save/init.lua
@@ -2,14 +2,12 @@ local M = {}
 
 --- @class Config
 local cnf = require("auto-save.config")
-local colors = require("auto-save.utils.colors")
 local echo = require("auto-save.utils.echo")
 local autocmds = require("auto-save.utils.autocommands")
 
 local api = vim.api
 local fn = vim.fn
 local cmd = vim.cmd
-local schedule = vim.schedule
 
 local logger
 local autosave_running = nil
@@ -47,18 +45,6 @@ local function debounce(lfn, duration)
   return inner_debounce
 end
 
-local function echo_execution_message()
-  local message = cnf.opts.execution_message.message
-  local msg = type(message) == "function" and message() or message
-  ---@diagnostic disable-next-line: deprecated
-  colors.echo_with_highlight(msg --[[@as string]])
-  if cnf.opts.execution_message.cleaning_interval > 0 then
-    fn.timer_start(cnf.opts.execution_message.cleaning_interval, function()
-      cmd([[echon '']])
-    end)
-  end
-end
-
 --- Determines if the given buffer is modifiable and if the condition from the config yields true for it
 --- @param buf number
 --- @return boolean
@@ -102,10 +88,6 @@ local function save(buf)
 
   autocmds.exec_autocmd("AutoSaveWritePost", { saved_buffer = buf })
   logger.log(buf, "Saved buffer")
-
-  if cnf.opts.execution_message.enabled == true then
-    echo_execution_message()
-  end
 end
 
 --- @param buf number
@@ -157,23 +139,6 @@ function M.on()
     desc = "Cancel a pending save timer for a buffer",
   })
 
-  local function setup_dimming()
-    if cnf.opts.execution_message.enabled then
-      schedule(function()
-        ---@diagnostic disable-next-line: deprecated
-        colors.apply_colors(cnf.opts.execution_message.dim)
-      end)
-    end
-  end
-
-  setup_dimming()
-  api.nvim_create_autocmd("ColorScheme", {
-    callback = function()
-      setup_dimming()
-    end,
-    group = augroup,
-  })
-
   autosave_running = true
 
   autocmds.exec_autocmd("AutoSaveEnable")
diff --git a/lua/auto-save/utils/colors.lua b/lua/auto-save/utils/colors.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index bac681f..0000000
--- a/lua/auto-save/utils/colors.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,103 +0,0 @@
---- This file is deprecated and should be removed in the future.
---- It is still in use but the functionality does not belong in the scope of this plugin
-
-local o = vim.o
-local api = vim.api
-
-local BLACK = "#000000"
-local WHITE = "#ffffff"
-local auto_save_hl_group = "MsgArea"
-
-local M = {}
-
----@param hex_str string hexadecimal value of a color
-local hex_to_rgb = function(hex_str)
-  local hex = "[abcdef0-9][abcdef0-9]"
-  local pat = "^#(" .. hex .. ")(" .. hex .. ")(" .. hex .. ")$"
-  hex_str = string.lower(hex_str)
-
-  assert(string.find(hex_str, pat) ~= nil, "hex_to_rgb: invalid hex_str: " .. tostring(hex_str))
-
-  local red, green, blue = string.match(hex_str, pat)
-  return { tonumber(red, 16), tonumber(green, 16), tonumber(blue, 16) }
-end
-
---- @param group string
---- @param color table
---- @param force? boolean
-local function highlight(group, color, force)
-  if color.link then
-    vim.api.nvim_set_hl(0, group, {
-      link = color.link,
-    })
-  else
-    if color.style then
-      for _, style in ipairs(color.style) do
-        color[style] = true
-      end
-    end
-    color.style = nil
-    if force then
-      vim.cmd("hi " .. group .. " guifg=" .. (color.fg or "NONE") .. " guibg=" .. (color.bg or "NONE"))
-      return
-    end
-    vim.api.nvim_set_hl(0, group, color)
-  end
-end
-
-local function get_hl(name)
-  local ok, hl = pcall(vim.api.nvim_get_hl_by_name, name, true)
-  if not ok then
-    return
-  end
-  for _, key in pairs({ "foreground", "background", "special" }) do
-    if hl[key] then
-      hl[key] = string.format("#%06x", hl[key])
-    end
-  end
-  return hl
-end
-
----@param fg string foreground color
----@param bg string background color
----@param alpha number number between 0 and 1. 0 results in bg, 1 results in fg
-local function blend(fg, bg, alpha)
-  local bg_hex = hex_to_rgb(bg)
-  local fg_hex = hex_to_rgb(fg)
-
-  local blendChannel = function(i)
-    local ret = (alpha * fg_hex[i] + ((1 - alpha) * bg_hex[i]))
-    return math.floor(math.min(math.max(0, ret), 255) + 0.5)
-  end
-
-  return string.format("#%02X%02X%02X", blendChannel(1), blendChannel(2), blendChannel(3))
-end
-
---- This function is still in use, but should be removed in the future.
---- The dimming should be done by the colorscheme or an UI Plugin.
---- @deprecated
---- @param dim_value number
-M.apply_colors = function(dim_value)
-  if dim_value > 0 then
-    MSG_AREA = get_hl("MsgArea")
-    if MSG_AREA.foreground ~= nil then
-      MSG_AREA.background = (MSG_AREA.background or get_hl("Normal")["background"])
-      local foreground = (
-        o.background == "dark" and blend(MSG_AREA.background or BLACK, MSG_AREA.foreground or BLACK, dim_value)
-        or blend(MSG_AREA.background or WHITE, MSG_AREA.foreground or WHITE, dim_value)
-      )
-
-      highlight("AutoSaveText", { fg = foreground })
-      auto_save_hl_group = "AutoSaveText"
-    end
-  end
-end
-
---- @deprecated
---- @see M.apply_colors
---- @param message string
-M.echo_with_highlight = function(message)
-  api.nvim_echo({ { message, auto_save_hl_group } }, true, {})
-end
-
-return M