I was going through my closets and shelves in an effort to apply the principles from my column on essentialism and realized that a lot of the things that I was getting rid of were items that I never wanted in the first place. Shirts from 5Ks, knickknacks from magazine subscriptions and clutter from membership campaigns were my rewards for doing what I would have done anyway. An unintended consequence of pursuing my interests was an ever expanding pile of junk.

Hmmm. My example is no big deal, but the unintended consequences regarding other things we do can be startling. Some clients sold a home in Florida and moved back to Minneapolis to be with their grandchildren. And, yes, they actually miss the winter. It was clear that their move to Florida a few years ago was going to save them taxes, but what was not obvious were the unintended consequences of such a move. Owning their second home made them feel less comfortable taking trips to different locations, because they felt that since they owned the Florida property, they'd better be using it. Their desire to save on taxes made them extremely conscientious about days out of Minnesota, which resulted in them not being able to do everything they wanted with the rest of the family still Up North. Since many of their friends did not move, they found themselves more isolated than they had expected.

What will change?

Before making such a move, create a list of things that will change. This may include community, religious institutions, charities and exercise among other things. The focus on one big thing invariably causes us to miss other issues that may add up to equal importance. A move to Florida for weather and taxes may be ideal for you, but the decision is far more complex.

Unintended consequences regularly occur in parenting. I have seen clients sacrifice their financial security as a way to provide for their children's. This is nonsensical. While helping the children may be well-intentioned, there are many other issues that come into play.

The children may not develop the work habits necessary for them to discover their appropriate path or the satisfaction of achieving something on their own merit. Worse, the children may end up having to provide support for the parents at a time when they may not be able to do so. The parents may resent children wanting more from them once the spigot has been turned on and it is perceived as arbitrary as to what the parent will and won't support.

If you plan on providing financial support for your adult children, be clear what you will and won't be doing. Seek some input as to what they may or may not want. The child of other clients was upset because they set up a 529 plan to pay for the grandchild's college. Their child felt this was a parental role. The unintended consequence of establishing a 529 plan was frustration by the grandparents for not being appreciated and the child for not being consulted.

Credit card clutter

One of the things I think about when I see articles on the best credit cards is that the unintended consequence may be that people spend differently because of the credit cards they have. They want to earn those rewards. If you are forced to carry a credit card balance, it makes sense to pay as little interest as possible, but those low-interest cards can also push people into making irresponsible money decisions.

Whenever people ask me about whether they should pay off their nondeductible credit cards by using a deductible home-equity loan, I always ask them how they built up the debt in the first place. All too often people will make a sound financial decision such as moving to lower-cost or deductible debt only to end up borrowing more because some credit lines had been cleared up.

The best way to fix these issues is to close out credit lines when they are paid off and to be actively engaged in how you use your credit cards. This means regularly looking at your transactions through a program like Quicken or Mint.com so that you are more connected to the spending decisions you make.

Not all unintended consequences are negative, though. One of the things that has continued to be borne out regarding charitable giving is that it seems to increase one's sense of financial security. Think about it this way — when you give to others you are making an implicit statement that you have enough for yourself. While several of our clients are quite philanthropic, one of our clients gives a large percentage of income annually to charity. The client is still concerned about being financially able to do things, but philanthropy is one of the first funded budget items.

Even though many of us have enough, it's natural to want something more or different. But when giving to others is an active part of your financial practice, you may be able to manage those wants more easily.

You also may be able to start by ridding yourself of your clutter, and your gift is sure to offer meaningful help to those in need.

Ross Levin is the founding principal of Accredited Investors Inc. in Edina.