While most good hosting companies will make frequent server backups themselves, I still feel better at the end of day when my blogs database is fully backed up and emailed to me. I value my content too much to risk losing it and starting from scratch!

If you’re using WordPress, there’s a whole Wiki page on this subject: visit it.

After reading it, my current backup setup includes two plugins: WP-Backup and WP-Cron. The first one does exactly what its name says, it backs up the MySQL database, archives it and lets you either download it, save it on your webspace, or email it. But who wants to do that manually?

This is where the second plugin comes in. WP-Cron allows you to setup daily backups (midnight) and then it will deliver the archived database, in gzip, conveniently to your mailbox. Superb!

WP-Backup should come with your WordPress setup (version 2.0+) and WP-Cron is available here (you only need wp-cron.php). Activate both plugins and then go to Administrator panel -> Manage -> Backup. Set your settings at the bottom and hit Submit. You’re done.

Hope this helps.