Getting your favourite student ready for the first day of school can be an expensive lesson in the cost of an education. A recent survey by Visa Canada found that on average, Canadians expect to spend $621 online and in-store on back-to-school supplies by Labour Day. To help you cut costs this school year, I asked a number of parents and teachers to share their top tips for stretching this year's school supply budget. Here are their top five:

Take a look around your home before hitting the stores -- chances are you already own a few of the essentials and can save a lot of money by not duplicating these items.

That's exactly what teacher and parent Brandi Barker Scraper recommends. She says, "I always save my children's pencil boxes and Fiskar scissors for the following year. After accumulating about six pairs of scissors around the house, I realized there was no reason why those couldn't be taken back to school the next year."

Many schools mail parents a list of recommended school supplies in the summer. Parent Mia Lee has learned not to go shopping with her son until she sees what items are required for the upcoming year. Lee says, "As parents we sometimes tend to buy general supplies instead of waiting to see what items the teacher requests. I remember one year I stocked up on crayons and wide ruled paper because it was on sale, however, my son's list didn't ask for crayons, and he really needed college ruled paper! I save money by only buying what he needs."