If you create only a few pieces of information you truly don’t want to lose, burning these files onto a CD-R or DVD-R is a reasonable and inexpensive backup technique.

If you have more content than fits easily onto one CD-R (700MB) or DVD-R (4700MB) optical disk, consider regularly copying the files onto a larger flashdrive.

Both of these techniques can also be automated with simple inexpensive software.

The downside of this approach is that it only backs up your data.  Your operating system and installed programs will all require re-installation from the source CD’s.  This can require 4 or more hours of effort and assumes you can find all of the CD’s.

Of course this technique also requires that you to initiate the back up and insert disks.  So attention on your part is needed, up and most of us lack the discipline to backup consistently.