Backing up or saving Gmail on your local computer

So you've moved to gmail.  Then you realize that all gmail is retained unless you trash it.  Good!  But then you are concerned that "something" might happen and some of your emails you want to keep might be lost.  That isn't likely, but let's address that.  Here are ways:

1. Use a client email program, such as Outlook or Thunderbird.  Configure your email connection as IMAP (Important!).  Every so often, start your email program and do a receive.  All messages from the last time you did it will be downloaded.  Because you are using IMAP, the messages will not be removed from the gmail server.  You've got a complete archive.
2. If you just occasionally have a message you want to save, you can "easily" save it to Google Drive.  
1. But first, you have to be using Google Drive.  There is a tutorial in the Youtube list to the right on how to install Google Drive on your device (from phone to super computer).  When this is done, all documents, etc will be physically mirrored to your device as well as be on the google servers.  (I should mention that, in the video, the lecturer starts the discussion by saying that he wants to share photos.  Well, you don't share and edit photos in Google Drive.  Google Drive has some features to save you from the mistake of putting pictures on Google Drive, but just don't save pictures to Google Drive.  Save pictures to Google Photo instead.)  
2. Here is a second dependency:  You have to be logged on to Google through Google Chrome.  Don't log on just to email.  Logging on to Google through Chrome automatically logs you on to all the Google applications, even Youtube.  That's necessary to use this feature I'm discussing.  (To log on to Google Chrome, click the setting chevron for Google Chrome.  The first thing at the top of settings is where you log on to Google Chrome.)  
3. Here is a third dependency: you have to be using Google Cloud Print.  To make sure you are using it, go to the Chrome settings, go to the bottom, and click on the Advanced link.  This will reveal more settings.  Near the bottom of these settings is a heading "Google Cloud Print."  Click on the Manage button and start it.  From now on, you can print from anywhere you are to your home printer, or, at least in my case, any of a couple dozen places.  Close when done. 
4. Now, back to saving the email.  Start a "Print" of your email, any way you want.  From that page, there is a button underneath the default printer name called "Change." Click on that.  In that list is the entry "Save to Google Drive."  Clicking on this will cause your print to generate a PDF file that will be saved to your Google Drive.  That document will find its way down to your computer during the Google Drive synch process. Click Print to initiate this process.