Here’s another December discount I’ve never seen before Christmas. Now through Dec. 12, get 40 percent off your entire order at www.thymes.com plus free shipping. Use promo code FRIENDS28 at the checkout. This is a great sale if you missed the fall warehouse sale and of course this is good on all current scents, soaps, lotions, candles, mists and diffusers. If you haven’t tried the Thymes Frasier Fir scents, give it a shot. It’s authentically Christmas-y.

 One more sale: Ambiance at Home (5500 Cottonwood Lane SE.,  Prior Lake, 952-440-6757, www.ambiance-athome.com) is having its annual sale with amazing bargains. Prices are about half of wholesale on accessories such as pottery, table linens, dried and silk flowers, fake fruits, lamps, rugs and framed art. I thought the deals on art were especially good. The furniture pieces are limited but fairly well-priced. The sale runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. through Sunday.  

Kevin asks a good question about finding those coupon codes. (And thanks Jen for suggesting RetailMeNot.). Other sites that provide codes are DealCoupon.com, CouponCabin and Couponcraze.

 Generally I just use Google. Say I’m buying pet supplies from Doctors Foster & Smith. I put “coupon code for Doctors Foster & Smith” in the Google search box. Then I wade through them. More often than not, I can’t find a current code. (Many of them are way past the expiration date.)

 Last week as I was finishing up my pet order at Foster & Smith, I took five minutes to search for a coupon code. I was hoping to find one for free shipping but I found one for $5 off instead. A rare success.

I’ll be honest. Only one out of five times do I find a workable discount code, but I’m not willing to spend more than five or 10 minutes to search. But I do a search every time I’m buying something online.

 Anyone had more success at coupon codes and willing to share your expertise?