Money and politics makes for an intoxicating mix and we had it in spades this week as the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced The Budget on Wednesday.

With just seven weeks to go before the General Election, some reckoned George Osborne explaining how he was going to spend the country’s money for the next 12 months was as useful as a chocolate fire guard, seeing as how he might not be Chancellor after May 7.

I prefer the other way of looking at it, which is that this close to polling day, all those proposed spending sprees and cuts put forward in The Budget and just as importantly, all the rival parties’ reactions to them, are fantastically useful.

It’s almost as good as a TV debate when it comes to finding out what each party and politician thinks about the NHS, jobs, education, tax and the rest of it.

It’s how we discover what exactly they stand for and who and what we’d be voting for.

On the subject of TV debates – I will be glued to these live sessions, because like most people, I’m fed up with the carefully stage-managed way we get to see and hear politicians.

It’s been all photo-opportunities and toeing the party line here in Oxfordshire this past few weeks.

We’ve been knee-deep in Government Ministers, Shadow Ministers, local MPs and wannabee MP candidates as they rush to be pictured with apprentices, business owners, school kids and anyone else they think will generate newspaper, radio or TV coverage.

But whether you love or loathe politics (I love it), one thing’s for sure – there’ll be no escaping it for the next seven weeks.

Unless you go abroad, that is. Which is not a bad idea, given that the pound is at its strongest against the Euro for ages.

I did a double-take on hearing there are now about 71p to one Euro (a few months ago, it was 81p).

Meanwhile, back in the real world, there was more bad news for old-style supermarkets struggling to deal with fierce competition from discounters Aldi and Lidl.

The top bods at Yummy-Mummy Central, otherwise known as Waitrose, are still reeling after latest profits there fell by a quarter Don’t be too upset for them because it’s part of the John Lewis partnership, so staff all have a share in the business and are still in line for a bonus of 10 per cent of their salary – though admittedly, that’s less than the 15 per cent they got last year.

But this is small change compared to the ructions happening at fourth-biggest supermarket Morrisons.

It’s just reported its worst profits in eight years, with an £800m loss, forcing it to close 23 convenience stores and make 400 staff redundant.

Aldi and Lidl are beating the others hands-down and have massively upped their games to offer a wider choice, which is bringing even more people in.

Aldi, which has stores in Botley Road, Bicester and Carterton, is my favourite.

It’s not just that the food and wine are superb (although they are), there are also brilliant special buys which change week to week and checkout staff are quick and friendly.

This week, offers are themed around gardening.

with a pressure spray at £7.99, pruning shears at £2.49 and numbers for your wheelie bin 49p each.

There’s a free app which keeps you up to date on the special buys – see www.aldi.co.uk/specialbuys for more info – plus the website has recipes and reviews of its award-winning wines.

Cheers and here’s to the next seven weeks.

Even if you hate politics, at least there’s a way to eat and drink well, while you get through it.