What it means
Means taking extra precautions so if one thing fails, another's there to catch it. It's used for plans, admin, DIY, travel, all that, when someone's being extra careful to the point of mild overkill. Usually said with a bit of a grin, not full-on criticism.
Usage examples
"I’ve backed up the files to the cloud and a hard drive, emailed myself a copy too. Bit belt and braces, but I’m not losing that report."
"I saved the file to the cloud and a USB stick, belt and braces, after losing a whole report last year."
"It is belt and braces, I know, but I always confirm the booking by phone as well as by email."
"I printed the tickets, saved the PDF on my phone, and screenshotted the QR code too. Proper belt and braces, but airports love a drama."
"He's put the tent pegs in labelled bags and brought spares for the spares. Very belt and braces, fair play."
Where it comes from
It comes straight from the literal image of holding your trousers up with both a belt and braces. In British English that turned into a neat way to talk about doing something with extra backup, extra cover, extra just-in-case energy when one safeguard didn't feel like quite enough.
Other ways to say it
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