Create a file named ~/.backup.conf. Inside this file, put something like this :
BACKUPDIR="/home/backup/"
CONFDIR="${BACKUPDIR}/backup.conf.d/"
Give execution rights on it.
If you wish to use mysqldump, create ~/.my.cnf :
[mysqldump]
user=root
password=mywonderfullpassword
Write your own modules in backup.conf.d. The examples you're seeing are my real ones.
Have cron (or anything you want) to run run.sh when you wish the backup to be done.
Output will be put inside backup.log. I personnaly display it through my finger server.
Get another server to connect to your server to grab the archives.