It is from the office of the Cook county clerk that public gets the public records like birth certificate, death certificate and marriage records to the deaths, birth and marriage that happened in Cook county and Chicago.

This office provides the copies of all the vital records to the eligible candidates upon request. The office also gives marriage licenses to those couples who have got married. After the marriage, a license of the marriage is filled and a copy of the marriage certificate is purchased.

http://www.cookcountyclerk.com/vitalrecords/Pages/default.aspx

http://www.public-record.com/content/general/chicagocities.asp

If you are earning a minimum wage, you can still afford to live a basic life in Chicago. The most important of a living expense is the housing. If you rent a room in the affordable areas of the city and share the room or apartment with a roommate, you can easily lead a life with all basic amenities.

Avoid staying in expensive area like the Loop, which will cost you more. You can also cut down your budget to fulfilling your basic needs, so as to reduce your monthly expenses to a minimum. You can also avoid going to costly restaurants and other luxurious activities.

http://www.yelp.com/topic/chicago-do-you-think-living-in-chicago-is-expensive

http://www.city-data.com/forum/chicago/882766-safe-cheap-neighborhoods-living.html