The dates for the next Dubai Shopping Festival have been released.

The only thing that can temper the sting of Christmas being over is some serious shopping at the malls.

And while we’ve still got some time to wait (we’re only in November, after all), we are marking the dates of the next Dubai Shopping Festival in our diaries.

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The city’s malls will be overtaken by deals from December 26 to January 27 2018, organisers revealed this week.

It’ll be the 23rd edition of DSF, with the month-long affair jam-packed with offers, activities, discounts and prizes (such as the chance to win luxury cars and gold).

There will also be family-friendly events through the festival, with concerts and firework shows planned across the month.

We’ll share a full programme with you when we have it, but in the meantime we’ll be preemptively writing our shopping lists.

We’ll leave you with a few top tips for tackling DSF when it launches…

Keep calm. When your brain spots an offer it releases dopamine, an organic chemical that lights up like a firework in your brain, and makes you want that sale. Remaining calm and unstressed will keep your spending in control.

Be cheeky. Register on the site of your favourite brand, then go shopping, putting what you want in your virtual basket. Go through the stages of making a purchase and at the final step simply close the page. Ninety per cent of the time the brand will note that you’ve left and will send you a promotion code or deal via email soon after.

Don’t be fooled. A 30 per cent discount doesn’t call for a sale, and steer clear if the discount is more than 70 per cent – it means prices have been inflated.  There’s a sweet window between 30 and 50 per cent, which screams bargain!

Number crunch. Before the big sale, work out your budget so there’s no guilt after the shop. If shopping online add items to your Wish List so you can find your favourites really quickly on the day.

Style no-nos. If it’s not fabulous then avoid it. If you don’t feel great the moment you put it on then you never will.

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Style go-gos. Sales are a great time to invest in timeless classics. Everyone should have a capsule wardrobe with the essentials: leather trousers, ballet flats, a cashmere sweater and a blazer.

Stick to a sensible motto. Only buy pieces that you would consider paying full price for. If you find something you really love, don’t hesitate, discount items don’t hang around forever.

Buy one size up on budget items.  This means you’re getting a little extra fabric, which can make all difference from looking cheap or chic.

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Images: Getty