Can you actually save money with cashback apps?

Cashback apps like Leyla, Edadila, or Yandex.Market do help you get money back, but the savings are real only if you don't change your habits for the sake of cashback. If you're already shopping at these stores and ordering from these restaurants anyway, getting 1-5% back is pure gain. You install the app, pick the store you need, pay for your stuff - the money shows up in your account. No hassle.

Where you can actually make more is on categories with boosted cashback. Apps occasionally run promotions like 10-20% off certain products or restaurants. That's where you can score decent money if you catch these windows right. But again: it only makes sense if it lines up with what you're buying anyway.

The downside is it builds up slowly. Over a month of regular purchases you'll get back a few hundred rubles, not thousands. And you gotta understand: if you deliberately start ordering more just for the percentage, those savings evaporate into the extra spending. Real savings is just a bonus on top of your regular budget, not a reason to change how much you spend.