Cramer said companies are still not hiring while foreclosures are moving along at a record pace. Yet the earnings at high-end retailers, like Coach (COH Quote), and at pricier restaurants like Darden (DRI Quote) and Cheesecake Factory (CAKE Quote) are up, he noted.

Cramer said the reason for all of this may be simple. Consumers may not be able to save their homes or jobs, he said, but they're still going out and living their lives. Perhaps, he said, they're defaulting on the homes in order to save their cars and way of life, he theorized. Nearly two-thirds of the U.S. economy is driven by consumers, said Cramer, and that the economy just keeps on expanding.

[TheStreet.com]