This is a tricky one. The chances are that your debt is attracting a high interest rate, so you may struggle to actually reduce the debt. However, if you don’t have any savings, if there is a financial emergency, you’re likely to put the purchase on your credit card and the whole cycle will start again.
So, for many people, the sensible approach is to try to do both. If you have $100 in your budget available each month, why not try to put $20 in savings and put the rest towards your debt.