diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a6e2100..f17b3ae 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -12,4 +12,7 @@ $ git clone --recursive https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto.git "${ZDOTDIR:-
 $ ./install
 $ curl -fLo ~/.vim/autoload/plug.vim --create-dirs https://raw.githubusercontent.com/junegunn/vim-plug/master/plug.vim
 $ vim +PlugInstall
+$ mkdir ~/bin
+$ git clone https://github.com/laurent22/rsync-time-backup ~/.rsync-time-backup
+$ ln -s ~/.rsync-time-backup/rsync_tmbackup.sh ~/bin/rsync_tmbackup.sh
 ```
diff --git a/rsync_excludes.txt b/rsync_excludes.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d38ba6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rsync_excludes.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+- .DS_Store
+- venv
+- node_modules
+- __pycache__
+- *.pyc
+- .nvim/plugged/
+- .vim/plugged/
+- Library/
+- miniconda3/
+- tmp/
+- .cache/
+- .npm/
diff --git a/zsh/zshrc b/zsh/zshrc
index 5edddb9..f79a150 100644
--- a/zsh/zshrc
+++ b/zsh/zshrc
@@ -34,3 +34,9 @@ BASE16_SHELL=$HOME/.config/base16-shell/
 [ -n "$PS1" ] && [ -s $BASE16_SHELL/profile_helper.sh ] && eval "$($BASE16_SHELL/profile_helper.sh)"
 
 alias tmux="TERM=xterm-256color tmux"
+
+# set up local bin dir
+export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/bin"
+
+# Backup shortcuts
+alias back_things_up="rsync_tmbackup.sh $HOME /Volumes/field_on_fire/$HOST $HOME/.dotfiles/rsync_excludes.txt"