For Paige Overhultz, a 40-year-old nurse, the humble grocery list transforms the mundane into a captivating puzzle. “Collecting grocery lists turns something ordinary into a tiny mystery, and solving those mysteries feels both grounding and deeply satisfying,” she shares.
This unique hobby began during the isolating months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Living alone for the first time in almost a decade and navigating a difficult breakup, Paige found solace in regular walks through the expansive car park connecting her apartment complex to a neighbouring supermarket. It was during these walks that she stumbled upon her first discarded grocery list. “It was written on a small piece of yellow paper and had just three items: ‘Pea, Onion, Corn’,” Paige recalls.
The discovery sparked an immediate curiosity. Paige, a resident of North Carolina, began to weave entire backstories for the unknown authors of these lists. What started as a single find soon escalated into a dedicated collection, with Paige intentionally seeking out these forgotten scraps of paper. Six years on, her collection has blossomed to over 3,000 grocery lists, each a unique window into the lives of ordinary people. These lists, penned in various languages and scrawled on diverse materials, offer a compelling, albeit fragmented, glimpse into everyday existence in a rural US state.
The Genesis of a Collection
The very first list Paige found, a simple three-item note, ignited a spark. “I kept it initially because it made me laugh and I wanted to show my family,” she explains. “Based on the handwriting and the simplicity of the list, I imagined it belonged to an older man sent to the store by his wife for ingredients she needed for a chicken pot pie.” This initial imagining led Paige to a profound realisation: the potential for untold stories hidden within the most common of household documents. A few days after her first find, spotting another discarded list cemented her intention to collect them. She began actively searching, plucking lists from car park floors, nestled behind shopping trolleys, and even retrieved from the depths of bins.
Paige’s finds are not limited by language or surface. Her collection boasts lists written in a variety of languages, including Korean, Spanish, French, German, Hindi, and Russian. Furthermore, the materials used are just as varied.
A Tapestry of Surfaces and Stories
“The most common are Post-it notes and scraps of paper, but some of my favourites are written on St. Jude Children’s Hospital notepads,” Paige reveals. These particular lists hold a special significance for her. “Those are often sent out as thank-you gifts when someone makes a donation to St. Jude in the US. As a childhood cancer survivor, that cause is very close to my heart, so finding lists written on those notepads always feels especially meaningful.”
While some lists evoke deep personal connections, others present a more peculiar narrative. The oddest grocery list Paige has ever encountered was scribbled on the back of a police ticket for reckless driving. In contrast, her most cherished find is a list written on the reverse of a bank envelope, remarkably still containing a two-dollar bill.
Decoding Trends and Cultural Shifts
Over time, Paige has observed distinct patterns and trends emerge from her growing collection, offering insights into societal shifts and individual preoccupations. “I started collecting during COVID, and lists from that period often included a lot more comfort items, sweets, chips, and alcohol showed up far more frequently than they do now,” she notes.
“But what’s especially interesting is how cultural trends show up,” Paige continues. “I can pinpoint when things like sriracha or Everything But the Bagel seasoning suddenly became popular because they start appearing on lists much more often, almost overnight.”
Beyond culinary preferences, Paige has also noticed a significant increase in the presence of weight-loss medications on the lists she collects. Medications such as Wegovy, Zepbound, and Mounjaro are appearing with greater frequency, signalling a growing public focus on health and wellness. “For Paige, being able to watch and spot patterns like these is one of the reasons she finds her collection ‘so compelling’,” she explains. “Grocery lists quietly document what people are worried about, excited about, or taking care of in that moment; they’re small but incredibly revealing snapshots of life.”
A Natural Extension of Curiosity
Beyond her nursing career, Paige is also a content creator on social media, where she shares her eclectic interests, from thrift finds to exotic fruit reviews. Recently, she began sharing her grocery list collection with her online audience, sparking widespread fascination. Her followers have responded with awe, with comments such as “you may be the most interesting person in the world” and “there is something so beautifully human about this.” Some have even pledged to sign off their future shopping lists with a dedication to Paige.
For Paige, this unusual hobby feels like a “natural extension” of her neurodivergence. “I’ve always been fascinated by people and their stories,” she admits. “Sitting in a restaurant, I’ll find myself wondering about the people at the table next to me, what they do for a living, whether they’re dating or siblings, what their hobbies might be.” Her mind is perpetually engaged in seeking out patterns, details, and connections. Each grocery list presents a miniature puzzle: Who penned it? Were they shopping for themselves or someone else? What culinary creations are planned? Do they live alone or with family? What might their age or profession be?
Paige endeavours to answer these questions by analysing contextual clues like the type of paper used, the handwriting style, and whether items have been crossed off or checked.
A Poignant Connection to Memory
A particularly profound moment in Paige’s collecting journey occurred shortly after her grandmother’s passing. While sorting through her belongings, Paige discovered one of her grandmother’s grocery lists. “Seeing her handwriting again, something so ordinary and practical, was incredibly moving,” she shares. “It wasn’t a letter or a keepsake she meant to leave behind; it was just a reminder to buy everyday items. But that’s exactly what made it so powerful.”
The experience offered a small, intimate glimpse into her grandmother’s daily life, frozen in time. This encounter fundamentally shifted Paige’s perspective on her entire collection. It underscored that grocery lists are more than mere errands on paper; they are tangible evidence of care, routine, and presence. They represent how individuals nurture themselves and others, and how even the most commonplace details can acquire profound significance once the author is no longer present.
