EXCLUDE "/.../dsmsched.log" 
EXCLUDE "/.../dsmprune.log" 
EXCLUDE "/.../dsmerror.log" 
EXCLUDE "/.../dsmj.log" 
EXCLUDE "/.../.hotfiles.bTree" 
EXCLUDE.DIR "/private/tmp" 
EXCLUDE.DIR "/private/var/vm" 
EXCLUDE.DIR "/private/var/tmp" 
EXCLUDE.DIR "/.../.fseventsd" 
EXCLUDE.DIR "/.../.Trashes" 
EXCLUDE.DIR "/.../.Spotlight-V100" 
EXCLUDE.DIR "/.../Library/Caches" 
EXCLUDE.DIR "/Users/.../Library/Caches" 
EXCLUDE.DIR "/private/var/db/netinfo/local.nidb" 
EXCLUDE "/.../*.core" 

* These are for backing up only my user files and excluding all OS files.
* Edit it to suit your needs.
* Change /Users/eliza to your userid

exclude.dir /Applications
exclude.dir /Library
exclude.dir /bin
exclude.dir /cores
exclude.dir /private
exclude.dir /sbin
exclude.dir /System
exclude.dir /usr
include "/Users/eliza/.../*"