My sister got married this summer to a guy who has a son and daughter who are 8 and 10 respectively. I had never even met these kids before. I’m broke. I’m expected to buy them presents. I’m leaning heavily towards a $5 bill in a card.
To continue this hijack a bit…
The reason I decided on a theme was because when my sister and I were kids, my Uncle sent us ornaments for several years. Lots of them, and while they weren’t separated by theme, we each got specific ones that were supposed to be our own. When I grew up and joined the military, one of the things I really wanted my mom to send me while I was stationed overseas was my ornaments. Unfortunately, Mom let my sister separate them and send them to me. I was so disappointed. Sis kept many of my favorite ornaments that I know were given specifically to me. I don’t think she did it to be spiteful or anything. I just think she was so young when we originally got them that she didn’t remember which ones wher hers and which were mine. The theme idea should keep that from happening to the my nieces and nephews. Plus, it makes it more fun and challenging to shop for them. 
… and if I had money, I’d probably spend about $20 each, same as I would for my adopted baby brother.
As it stands now, we can’t afford to buy food until Friday, and all we have in the house is pancake mix and half a loaf of bread, so the kids will be lucky if they do get that $5 showing up before Christmas rather than after it when we’ve caught up.
Celine Dion spends $200 per kid.
I am a childless aunt of 3 nephews and 3 nieces and one more on the way. I usually spend anywhere between $20 and $40 per kid (depending on what I find for them).
So my sister, the one who asked me to get the $80 toy for her kid, also told me her older son wanted gift cards from Guitar Center from relatives. This was after I told her I was thinking of a max of 40 - 45 bucks. So she told me to get him a $45 gift car.
He’s getting $30.
Caricci, the problem here isn’t the amount of money to spend. The problem is that your sister is a jerk. Ignore her and give your nephews and nieces what you want to give them, not what your sister thinks you should give them. Try to make it something that the nephew or niece wants, but forget about what your sister says. Nobody has any business ordering their sister or brother about what sort of present they should buy for their children.
Whoa. $80? Well, everyone can dream, can’t they? 
I have one nephew, and my girls are nieces to two uncles. I generally purchase one toy for the nephew. He’s only three, so the main thing for him is: is the toy fun? I only spent $10 on a game for him this year – Pop Up Pirate – but I’m confident he’ll love it. The main thing, I figure, is for his father and him (to a much lesser extent for the kid, since he’s three) to know we remembered him and wanted him to have fun.
In terms of my girls, when I’m asked for Christmas ideas by my husband’s younger brother (who has no kids), I always give him a range of ideas from about $4 up to about $20. He can choose what to buy and how much. Last year he shocked us all by getting us a portable DVD player for a big family trip in the car, bless his heart, but I would by no means expect that from him, ever. He’s ours and we love him, and gifts are just gravy on top of that, whatever their value.
My husband’s other brother has never felt any compunction to purchase gifts for his nieces. We typically buy a toy or book (see above) for his son. I don’t really care that he doesn’t buy anything for my girls. I’m aware of it, and it seems consistent to me with the rest of his personality, which is very, shall we say, inward-directed. But hey, it’s up to him, and if he doesn’t want to buy them anything, fine. They certainly don’t lack for presents anyway, thanks to the grandparents mostly.
Mrs. Furthur
Nothing. But they’re grown. And Jewish.