A new survey shows a growing number of American citizens are using their credit cards and skipping out on saving money.

The survey from Bankrate.com suggests that more than half of all Americans have more savings than credit card debt, but the ranks of the savers are slipping. The February survey shows that 28 percent of Americans have more in credit card debt than they have in an emergency fund. That's up from 23 percent in 2011.

Jon Ten Haggen, a Huntington certified financial planner, says he's not surprised at all by the survey. He says many don't make saving money a priority. He believes Americans should have at least nine months of living expenses stored away.

"The bottom line is create a financial plan," Haggen told News 12. "Here's where I am now, here's what I have, here's where I'd like to go to."

Financial experts say those in credit card debt should prioritize and pay off as much as they can on the cards with the highest interest rates first.