To solve the equation \( x - 3.25 = -5 \), you need to isolate \( x \). You can do this by adding \( 3.25 \) to both sides of the equation:
\[ x - 3.25 + 3.25 = -5 + 3.25 \]
This simplifies to:
\[ x = -1.75 \]
So, the solution is \( x = -1.75 \).