Yeah, paint and body work is expensive. Especially prep and color sanding, very time consuming. But those are the steps that guarantee a good finish. If you can do the basic body work yourself you can save lots of hours. However, if you're not experienced and you're particular about the outcome, don't do it yourself. Body & paint is an art. I took a class at a local college, thinking I'd do it myself. It only seved to convince me I was out of my depth. But don't skimp on prep for the filler primer and the sanding that's required on that. Color sanding will depend on how much of a mirror finish you want.
I had a friend do mine for $2000. He put nearly 190 hours into it and it looked incredible. I say "looked" because I have since damaged the finish and have a fair amount of repair work to look forward to (little chips, scrapes and a ding). Just be real careful (more than I) and cover your car with thick blankets while you're working on it. Only uncover the areas you're working on. Never uncover the whole car if you don't have to. You're asking for trouble if you do. Trust me, I know. You should be able to get a fairly decent job if you don't need too much body work for $6500.
Christopher