Backing up Macbook Pro
Can I back up my Macbook Pro OS High SIerra 10.13. to an external hard drive without using time machine?
MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.13
TM is the easiest way to back up your Mac. but, yes, you could always move your data to an external drive manually.
in my case, I both use TM, as well as moving data manually to external drives.
and you should keep one backup off-site incase of theft, fire, or natural disaster.