I can't believe it.
Today- yes, today- marks 3 years that I started this blog, No Getting Off This Train.
It's been a wild 3 years, and this blog has changed dramatically since the beginning. I've spent hours pouring over blog posts; practicing graphic design; waking up at 3:30 at times just to get uninterrupted work done. And it's been worth every single minute.
So today I want to celebrate and invite you to join me! I'm giving away a $50 Amazon gift card at the end of this post; but for now, sit back and enjoy this ride down memory lane with me.
Why "No Getting Off This Train"?
Let me start by saying, I'm a nerd. But you probably knew that. See, one of my favorite video games of all times is Final Fantasy VII. There was one scene when two of the main characters were on a train, talking about saving the world and how they were kind of sucked into this role. And one of them said, "There ain't no getting off this train we're on".
For some reason, that quote stuck with me for the longest time. And when I thought about what to name this blog, the quote came back to me with such force that I knew it was meant to be. At the time I started the blog, Allison was almost 18 months old and I wanted to start losing my baby weight and get healthier. I was also a stay-at-home mom, so I was trying to keep our spending low, especially with groceries. And when the name came to me, I just kept thinking, "Once you get on the train of becoming a mother- and losing weight- and living frugally- there's no getting off." So that's how the blog was born.
Top 5 posts
- How We Ate For $37 a Week for a Year
- 20 Dinners That Cost $5 or Less
- Meals to Make When You Have No Money
- How I Stick to a $60 a Week Grocery Budget
- How My Fitbit Earns Me Money
My Stats Throughout the Years
Some bloggers show their stats, both as a way to track their own progress and to show others a sneak peek into how they do things. I don't usually blog about blogging, but I wanted to show you the number of pageviews I've received month to month. Even I was surprised when I saw the big picture.
As you can see, March 2015 was not huge. I was still learning the ropes and trying to figure out what I wanted to do. At that point, I was posting 7 days a week (!), trying to be a "coupons and deals" blog. I soon realized it wasn't working out, and I stopped doing those posts after a few months.
April 2015 was when I wrote "How We Ate For $37 a Week for a Year", and it exploded on Pinterest. Since then, it's been my number 1 post, has been re-written at least once, and still circulates throughout Pinterest. Seriously, Pinterest is about 90% of my daily traffic.
I started Elite Blog Academy in February 2017; and with everything I've learned, my traffic had a major boost. Big enough, in fact, that in July 2017 I signed up with Mediavine, an ad management company that requires a certain number of page sessions per month. Because of people like you that read my blog on a consistent basis, I can now start putting aside money for private school for Allison. I can't begin to thank you for your support these last 3 years!
This has been a wild journey, but I wouldn't change it for anything. Blogging has become my passion. I love inspiring others to eat better on a budget, to hear their stories of transformation. And I do most of my blogging in my pajamas; it doesn't get much better than that!
Let's end the celebration with a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card, sent to your email! The last day to enter is Monday, March 12th and you have multiple entries to help you win. Good luck; and once again, thank you so much for all you do!
Jaime is a Nutrition Coach through the ISSA and professional writer. She has 4 years experience coaching and 9 years experience in writing. She enjoys cooking easy meals, running, and learning more about food.
Jaime specializes in helping women with ADHD learn to meal plan and cook healthier meals without getting overwhelmed.
My favorite snack is chocolate!
Chocolate makes everything better!
You have come so far in your blogging journey!! Super excited for you and can't wait to see where the next 3 years lead you!! My favorite snack lately has been a homemade trail mix of sea salt peanuts, rasins, and M&M's.
Thank you so much! =) That trail mix sounds amazing; it may be my snack next week!
I love Made Good Granola!
Granola is awesome!
Hummus an chips!
Hummus is amazing! My favorite is the red pepper. =)
I love dried fruit as a snack; thanks for the chance 🙂
I like dried fruit too! Raisins are my go-to in trail mix. =)
Cheese crackers are my favorite snack! I also love apples.
Cheese crackers! I've got some in my cabinet right now, actually. They can be addicting!
My all time favorite snack is nachos!
thank you
This was supposed to be Barbara Montag for name.
Nachos can be a weakness of mine! Load it up with stuff and I refuse to share. =)
My favorite snack is apple
Apples are delicious! I've discovered recently the goodness of apples and peanut butter.
My favorite snack is fruit! I'm a sucker for every type (although I really love apples!). Too funny, I hadn't realized that your blog name was a throwback to FF7. Love it! Happy Blogiversary 😉
Thanks! =) Apples are a great snack for me, too.
Leftover pizza is my favorite snack.
I feel ya! I just had pizza for breakfast this morning. =)
Fruit smoothies!
Smoothies are so good! I always have frozen bananas so I can have a quick smoothie in the morning. =)
Chips and guacamole are my favorite snack.
Mmm, guacamole. I need to get me some soon!
My favorite snack is white cheddar popcorn. So yummy!
I could probably eat a whole bag of that stuff; we love it!
My favorite snack is popcorn, I can also have it as a meal.
That's awesome! I discovered the flavored seasonings at Aldi one time and they're really good. =)
My favorite snack are dry-roasted, lightly salted peanuts! We love them! Congratulations are in order. I was fascinated by this post, a behind-the-scenes look at how your blog does - the progress over time is amazing, and consistent. I'm very happy for you that it is dependable enough for you to be able to plan for the future with it.
Thank you so much, Rosie! We love those kind of peanuts, too. There's always a container in the house!