I guess you could find something like a working backup-routine for yourself. If not, do something and let you inspire by some of my ideas.
Maybe you do not care about backups. It’s so easy to transfer photos of your digital camera or cellphone on your computer. Not comparable to all that effort we had back in the days of analogue film. Maybe you think backing up that files is too complicated. If you think so, continue reading.
Or you care a little bit about your digital life and you use a memory stick or external hard drive to copy your files regularly on it. That’s the best you can do with little afford, at least if you do that regularly. You could install yourself a routine to stick to a regular plan to do so. Use the calendar or todo list on your mobile to be notified for the next backup. Backup your files every few days, every second week or every month, but do it regularly.
If you are a little bit more advanced you may use a software like Apple TimeMachine, Acronis True Image or Norton Ghost. Most of these solutions provide you incremental backups, so you can jump back in time to restore different versions of the same document.
Real backup-Pros also make use of an offshore-backup. A second backup is been stored in a different location, so that in case of a fire at home or in your office, you still got a copy of your important files somewhere else. I really have to push myself to do an offshore-backup, because it takes a lot of effort for a little effect.