It keeps getting closer and closer, and it could mean a trip across town for a value meal -- costs as much as the meal.

It's cliche, but ask around -- and you'll find it's -the- sign of the times.

But if $50, $60 or $70 a tank sounds bad, talk to John Yi. $4 a gallon gas could cost his family $60,000.

"The gas pumps are about 30 years old, can't change to $4," he said.

The pumps at Pope's grocery store just don't go above $3.99. Yi says they'll have no choice but to replace them all.

"I need some low prices," Yi said. "I don't want over $4 gas price."

Other stations are luckier -- they just have to add fours to their signs.

Mark Finuf says the move to $2 and $3 gas meant a lot of business for sign makers.

"About a year ago," he recalled. "Everybody's calling, we gotta get a 2, we just added 3's and 4's."

Finuf says with diesel above $4 and $4 regular unleaded gasoline on the way, he hasn't seen a rush on fours -- but he has sold a lot of new signs and the future is all digital.

"We installed maybe two electronic boards per year, this year we're installing in excess of 40," he said.

Don't expect John Yi to ante up for a digital sign. He says at about a penny profit per gallon, Pope's will be stretched enough paying for new pumps.